Digestive Health
Wait Time Benchmarks for Digestive Health Care
Procedure | Urgent cases* | Scheduled cases* |
---|---|---|
Acute gastrointestinal bleeding | Within 24 hours | N/A |
Esophageal food bolus or foreign body obstruction | Within 24 hours | N/A |
Clinical features of ascending cholangitis | Within 24 hours | N/A |
Severe acute pancreatitis (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography within 72 h, if indicated) | Within 24 hours | N/A |
Severe decompensated liver disease | Within 24 hours | N/A |
Acute severe hepatitis | Within 24 hours | N/A |
High likelihood of cancer based on imaging or physical examination | N/A | Within 2 weeks |
Painless obstructive acute jaundice | N/A | Within 2 weeks |
Severe and/or rapidly progressive dysphagia or odynophagia | N/A | Within 2 weeks |
Clinical features suggestive of active inflammatory bowel disease | N/A | Within 2 weeks |
Bright red rectal bleeding | N/A | Within 2 months |
Documented iron deficiency anemia | N/A | Within 2 months |
One or more positive fecal occult blood tests | N/A | Within 2 months |
Chronic viral hepatitis | N/A | Within 2 months |
Stable dysphagia (not severe) | N/A | Within 2 months |
Poorly controlled reflux/dyspepsia | N/A | Within 2 months |
Chronic constipation or chronic diarrhea | N/A | Within 2 months |
New onset change in bowel habit | N/A | Within 2 months |
Chronic unexplained abdominal pain | N/A | Within 2 months |
Confirmation of a diagnosis of celiac disease (antibody test) | N/A | Within 2 months |
Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease for screening endoscopy | N/A | Within 6 months |
Screening colonoscopy | N/A | Within 6 months |
Persistent (more than 6 months) unexplained abnormal liver enzyme tests | N/A | Within 6 months |
* Priority or urgency levels are defined as follows:
- Urgent = Situation that is unstable and has the potential to deteriorate quickly and result in an emergency admission;
- Scheduled = Situation involving minimal pain, dysfunction or disability (also called “routine” or “elective”).
Note: Unless specified, time refers to calendar days between decision to treat by specialist and the day treatment is received.
Related Items
Canadian consensus on medically acceptable wait times for digestive health care (2006)