Abstract

In Ontario, the electronic Wait Time Information System (WTIS) was introduced to capture surgical wait time data and improve the coupling of resource allocation with public need. A key feature of the WTIS is its ability to triage patient care using a priority assessment tool (PAT). However, how do you ensure that surgeons will use the WTIS when it is deployed in a clinical setting? Early clinician engagement has been identified as a critical success factor for system adoption. As such, the General Surgery Clinical Expert Panel used a modified Delphi consensus technique to engage surgeons in the development of a PAT. This physician-driven process yielded two important lessons: (1) the use of a multidisciplinary team is critical for process validity and (2) positioning the PAT as a tool developed by and for local surgeons will likely improve clinical adoption. It is anticipated that the General Surgery experience will shape WTIS's expansion to other surgical specialties as electronic data collection matures within Ontario.