Navigating long wait times for rheumatological health issues and suggestions for further investigations

Abstract

Canada continues to struggle with wait times for patients transitioning from primary to specialized care. Since 2019, wait times for speciality consultation and time to specialty treatment have increased significantly throughout Canada, with Ontario ranking third overall among the provinces for the longest wait times. In addition to Ontario having the largest population among the provinces, musculoskeletal (MSK) based issues make up approximately 30% of all primary care reasons for visits and ranks among the longest wait times by specialty. Thus, a large proportion of patients seeking MSK based health care in Ontario are experiencing significant delays. This commentary discusses the burden of wait times for MSK patients requiring specialized care and offers a guide on how to assess, interpret, and possibly challenge the current care model. Essentially, this commentary suggests further studies be conducted through a qualitative lens to gather and assess information about patients’ perspectives on access, feasibility, and patient-provider alignment of care. Through this subjective lens, a better understanding may be gained regarding how patients interact with the current model of care for MSK health, and this knowledge can be applied in creating patient-education resources, guiding continuing medical education, and most importantly, increasing awareness for prominent systemic impacts such as wait times.