Waiting times in cardiology and quality of care: analysis of performances in an Italian hospital

Background The identification of diseases in an early stage is essential to improve prognosis and survival of patients. Consequently, waiting times for cardiological performances are widely recognized in Europe as evaluation items for healthcare quality. Our study aims to analyse waiting times of the main procedures in the cardiology ward of a huge hospital of Northern Italy and to compare them with the regional benchmark. Methods Data of the cardiology ward of “Molinette” hospital (Turin, Italy) about the waiting times for clinical procedures in the period 2016-2017 were collected. In particular, we gathered number of health care services and mean waiting times (MWT) for “Echocardiography” (EC), “First Cardiological Visit” (FCV), “Holter ECG” (HECG), “Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty performed within 2 days for people with myocardial infarction” (PTCA). We compared then our results with the benchmarks identified by the regional law. Results In the period considered, in “Molinette” hospital 11,565 ECs were performed, with a MWT of 31 days in 2016 and 16 days in 2017, well below the benchmark (40 days). The total number of FCVs was 5,156 with a MWT of 18 and 13 days in 2016 and 2017 respectively, again under the benchmark (30 days). The HECGs were 3,805, with a MWT of 53 (2016) and 32 (2017) days (benchmark 40 days). PTCAs performed within 2 days (benchmark 85%) were 160 (77.7%) in 2016 and 138 (85.2%) in 2017. Discussion In 2017, the waiting times of “Molinette” hospital were inferior to the regional benchmarks, for all the cardiological procedures considered. Shorter MWTs allow a more rapid planning of further diagnostic tests and treatments and, therefore, a consequent better quality of care. It’s important for European hospitals to assess and compare these indicators in order to guarantee a fast and appropriate care to their patients. Key messages Waiting times are an indicator of early diagnosis and treatment and are useful to assess the quickness and quality of health care provided in European hospitals. Cardiological procedures in “Molinette” hospital of Turin are provided with waiting times shorter than benchmarks. It would be interesting to compare these results with other big European hospitals.