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Data Element Detail

Elective surgery waiting time (at census date)
Identifying and Definitional Attributes
QH 040962 v1
Data Element
Derived Data Element
Current
28-Feb-2007		Superseded
03-Aug-2014
Standard
01-Jul-1997
30-Jun-2014
The time elapsed (in days) for a patient on the elective surgery waiting list from the date they were added to the waiting list to a designated census date.
Elective surgery
Waiting time for surgery at a census date
Representational Attributes
Integer
Quantitative Value
[N(3)]N
1
4
Permissible Values

Permissible_values

Positive integers in the range 0-9999
Supplementary Values

Supplemenary_values

-
Collection and Usage Attributes
The number of days is calculated by subtracting the 'Elective care waiting list episode-listing date for care, DDMMYYYY' from the Hospital census (of elective surgery waitlist patients)-census date, DDMMYYYY, minus any days when the patient was 'not ready for care', and also minus any days the patient was waiting with a less urgent clinical urgency category than their clinical urgency category at the census date.

Days when the patient was not ready for care is calculated by subtracting the date(s) the person was recorded as 'not ready for care' from the date(s) the person was subsequently recorded as again being 'ready for care'.

If, at any time since being added to the waiting list for the elective surgical procedure, the patient has had a less urgent clinical urgency category than the category at the census date, then the number of days waited at the less urgent 'Elective surgery waiting list episode-clinical urgency, code N' category should be subtracted from the total number of days waited.

In cases where there has been only one category reassignment (i.e. to the more urgent category attached to the patient at census date) the number of days at the less urgent clinical urgency category should be calculated by subtracting the 'Elective care waiting list episode-listing date for care, DDMMYYYY' from the 'Elective care waiting list episode-category reassignment date, DDMMYYYY'. If the patient's clinical urgency was reclassified more than once, days spent in each period of less urgent clinical urgency than the one applying at the census date should be calculated by subtracting one 'Elective care waiting list episode-category reassignment date, DDMMYYYY' from the subsequent 'Elective care waiting list episode-category reassignment date, DDMMYYYY', and then adding the days together.

When a patient is admitted from an elective surgery waiting list but the surgery is cancelled and the patient remains on or is placed back on the waiting list within the same hospital, the time waited on the list should continue. Therefore at the census date the patient's waiting time includes the number of days waited on an elective surgery waiting list, both before and after any cancelled surgery admission. The time waited before the cancelled surgery should be counted as part of the total time waited by the patient.
Between 1/7/97 and 30/6/98 this item was supplied by HBCIS.
Elective surgery waiting times data collections include measures of waiting times at removal and at designated census dates. This metadata item is used to measure waiting times at a designated census date whereas the metadata item Elective surgery waiting list episode-waiting time (at removal), total days N[NNN] measures waiting times at removal.
The calculation of waiting times for patients who are transferred from an elective surgery waiting list managed by one public acute hospital to another will be investigated in the future. In this case, the amount of time waited on previous lists should follow the patient to the next. Therefore at the census date, their waiting time includes the total number of days on all lists (less days not ready for care and days in lower urgency categories).
This is a critical elective surgery waiting times metadata item. It is used to determine whether patients are overdue. It is used to assist doctors and patients in making decisions about hospital referral, to assist in the planning and management of hospitals and in health care related research.
Relational Attributes
Related Metadata References

Related Metadata References_IR

  • 1 - 3
ViewRelationshipMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifier & VersionApproval Status
SupersedesData ElementDerived Data ElementTotal waiting timeQH 040091 Version 1Superseded
Has been superseded byData ElementDerived Data ElementElective surgery waiting list episode-waiting time (at a census date), total daysQH 040962 Version 2Superseded
Is calculated usingData ElementData ElementListing date on waiting listQH 040359 Version 2Superseded
Implementation in Metadata Sets

Implemented

  • 1 - 2
ViewMetadata Item TypeMetadata Item SubtypeNameIdentifer & VersionObligationApproval StatusEffective FromEffective To
Information AssetData CollectionEmergency Data Collection (EDC)QH 020159 Version 1ConditionalSuperseded01-Jul-199730-Jun-2014
Information AssetData CollectionQueensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (QHAPDC)QH 020001 Version 1ConditionalSuperseded01-Jul-199730-Jun-1998
Source and Reference Attributes
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
METeOR data element: Elective surgery waiting list episode-waiting time (at a census date), total days N[NNN], Identifier 269961, Health standard 01/03/2005 https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/269961/meteorItemView/long
METeOR data element: Elective surgery waiting list episode-waiting time (at a census date), total days N[NNN], Identifier 471715, Health standard 13/12/2011 https://meteor.aihw.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/471715/meteorItemView/long
Census; Elective surgery; Waiting list; Waiting time;