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Addressing the waiting time for elective surgeries in Hong Kong's public healthcare : a review of best practices from other developed countries

In Hong Kong, access to elective surgeries in public hospitals is often associated with lengthy waiting times. Facing resource constraints and increasing demands from a rapidly ageing population, the Hospital Authority (HA) is constantly confronted by the healthcare rationing dilemma. To date, publicized data on elective surgery waiting times at the HA remain limited, and a standardized way of measuring waiting time is currently lacking. Recognizing that the definition of waiting time will form the basis for future policies in addressing the issue, a three-step approach will be taken in this paper. First, a comparison will be drawn for the varying definitions of waiting time worldwide. Next, a suitable definition will be proposed for Hong Kong, followed by analysis of where policy interventions are most needed for reducing waiting times. Finally, best practices for managing waiting times will be extrapolated from England, Canada, Australia, and Spain to serve as guidance for Hong Kong’s future policy direction. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:HKU/oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/193838
Date January 2013
CreatorsLaw, Cynthia, 羅珮琳
PublisherThe University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong)
Source SetsHong Kong University Theses
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypePG_Thesis
RightsCreative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License, The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works.
RelationHKU Theses Online (HKUTO)

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