Impact of age and diagnosis on waiting times between important healthcare events among children 0 to 19 years cared for in pediatric units: the Canadian Childhood Cancer Surveillance and Control Program.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
The objectives were to describe and compare waiting times to diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents who accessed pediatric oncology centers in Canada for healthcare, and to assess the effects and relative contributions of age, sex, and diagnosis to waiting times.

METHODS:
Waiting times were assessed for 2,365 children (0 to 14 y) and 375 adolescents (15 to 19 y) diagnosed with cancer between 1995 and 2000 inclusive and followed by the Treatment and Outcome Surveillance system of the Canadian Children's Cancer Surveillance and Control Program. Differences were assessed using the chi2 test, Fisher exact test, and Wilcoxon test statistic.

RESULTS:
Median waiting times between first assessment by treating oncologist or surgeon and definitive diagnostic procedure, and the subsequent interval to first therapeutic event, were 2 days each. Significant variation existed in both periods when stratified by age and diagnosis but not sex. The most significant differences between age groups were eliminated when stratified by diagnosis.

INTERPRETATION:
This analysis suggests that once they enter the healthcare system, children and adolescents treated in pediatric centers in Canada experience short waiting times to key diagnostic and treatment events. Differences in wait times between the 2 age groups are not clinically significant and can be attributed to the differences in the types of cancer experienced by adolescents compared with children.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Klein-Geltink, Julia (J); Pogany, Lisa (L); Mery, Leslie S (LS); Barr, Ronald D (RD); Greenberg, Mark L (ML);

Affiliation: Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. juliekg(-atsign-)rogers.com

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology : official journal of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (J Pediatr Hematol Oncol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jul; vol 28 (issue 7) : pp 433-9

Dates: Created 2006/07/07; Completed 2006/10/17; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16825989, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Canada
Cancer Care Facilities - utilization
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Hospitals, Pediatric - utilization
Humans

Infant
Infant, Newborn
Male
Neoplasms - diagnosis; epidemiology; therapy
Oncology Service, Hospital - utilization
Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care)
Population Surveillance
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
Waiting Lists

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.