Patients with emergency conditions (Priority 1) are seen immediately and are not included in wait times data. Priority levels 2, 3, and 4 are determined by surgeons, specialists, and other health care providers, based on clinical evidence, to guide treatment decisions and improve patient access and outcomes.
Cardiac wait times in Ontario are measured and reported for the Wait 2 period: how long patients waited from deciding on surgery or procedure with the surgeon or specialist, to having the surgery or procedure. (Wait 1 wait times for the time from referral to first clinician appointment are not reported for cardiac wait times.)
Metrics reported for cardiac surgery and procedure wait times, for priority levels 2, 3 and 4, and those three priority levels combined:
-
The average number of days patients waited. A lower number is better.
-
The median number of days patients waited (half of the patients waited fewer than this number of days and the other half waited longer). A lower number is better.
-
The 90th percentile number of days patients waited (90% of patients waited this number of days or fewer, while 10% waited longer). A lower number is better.
-
The percentage of patients seen, or treated, within the target time for the 90th percentile (the target time within which 90% of patients were seen or treated). A higher percentage is better.
-
The volume, or number of patients treated, during the month reported.
The following shows priority levels and access target times for three of the most common cardiac surgeries and procedures. (Angioplasty is a surgery also known as Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Angiography is a procedure also known as Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization.)
| Priority level of the patients’ condition | Target time* from decision to having cardiac bypass | Target time* from decision to having angioplasty | Target time* from referral to having angiography |
| Priorities
1 and 2 | Patients have surgery within 14 days of decision | Patients have surgery within 7 days of decision | Patients have procedure within 7 days of referral |
| Priority 3 | Patients have surgery within 42 days of decision | Patients have surgery within 14 days of decision | Patients have procedure within 28 days of referral |
| Priority 4 | Patients have surgery within 90 days of decision | Patients have surgery within 28 days of decision | Patients have procedure within 84 days of referral |
*The target time within which 90% of patients are treated.
Data source for cardiac surgery and procedure wait times:
Ontario Cardiac Registry, Ontario Health.