Patient Preferences in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Queue
Author Information
Author(s): Katy Shufelt, Alice Chong, David A. Alter
Primary Institution: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
Hypothesis
Patients in the CABG surgical queue would value Canada's universal Medicare principles and prioritize themselves and others based on clinical acuity, but would also be willing to cede their own place in the queue to younger, socially independent individuals.
Conclusion
Patients generally prioritize clinical acuity in the surgical queue but value social independence, especially for young family providers.
Supporting Evidence
- 65% of eligible patients responded to the survey.
- Patients placed themselves ahead of those with identical characteristics.
- Respondents prioritized patients with higher clinical acuity over themselves.
Takeaway
Patients waiting for heart surgery think it's fair to let those who are sicker go ahead of them, but they also want to help younger people who have families.
Methodology
A self-administered survey was given to 91 patients awaiting CABG surgery, asking them to rank hypothetical patients in the queue based on various clinical and non-clinical factors.
Potential Biases
Responses may have been influenced by the publicized risks of delays for bypass surgery.
Limitations
The sample size was small, responses were from a single institution, and the study did not account for how time in the queue might affect prioritization perspectives.
Participant Demographics
Mean age was 65, with 67.8% male and 47.5% having high school education or less.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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