Can we improve the efficiency of care in patients with colorectal cancer from the time of their initial referral for colonoscopy to surgical resection?

Article Figures & Tables

Table 1

Wait times for patients in metropolitan Calgary

Interval	Group; median		Difference in medians	p value
Interval	GI as colonoscopist (n = 162)	General surgeon as colonoscopist (n = 27)	Difference in medians	p value
Time between family physician referral and colonoscopy, d	50	41	9	0.193
Time between colonoscopy and surgery, d	43	27	16	0.018
Total time between family physician referral and surgery, d	105	83	22	0.03

Table 2

Wait times for patients outside of metropolitan Calgary, but within southern Alberta

Interval	Group; median		Difference in medians	p value
Interval	GI as colonoscopist (n = 8)	General surgeon as colonoscopist (n = 27)	Difference in medians	p value
Time between family physician referral and colonoscopy, d	45	48	3	0.891
Time between colonoscopy and surgery, d	41	57	16	0.504
Total time between family physician referral and surgery, d	96	105	9	0.479

Table 3

Wait times for patients both inside and outside of metropolitan Calgary, and within southern Alberta

Interval	Group; median		Difference in medians	p value
Interval	GI as colonoscopist (n = 170)	General surgeon as colonoscopist (n = 54)	Difference in medians	p value
Time between family physician referral and colonoscopy, d	50	48	2	0.196
Time between colonoscopy and surgery, d	43	36	7	0.57
Total time between family physician referral and surgery, d	103	98	5	0.123