Si usted necesita un reemplazo de cadera, you’re better off living in Ontario or British Columbia than in Nova Scotia or Saskatchewan.

That’s according to a new study, Tiempo de Espera en los cuadros-Comparación por provincia, 2010, publicado esta semana por la Instituto Canadiense de Información Sanitaria (CIHI).

Although a major complaint about the Canadian health care system is the length of time you can wait for treatment, the study found that — at least for high priority procedures, such as radiation therapy for cancer, cataract surgery, and hip replacements — most patients are receiving care within the recommended wait times.

Sin embargo, the study also found significant variations by province. While most cancer patients receive radiation therapy within a month of requiring treatment, los tiempos de espera en Alberta y Nueva Escocia son notablemente más largo.

For hip replacements, the average wait times, defined as the number of days between booking and receiving a hip replacement, variado desde 62 días en Ontario y 73 día en aC, hasta 132 días en Saskatchewan y 178 días — nearly six months — en Nueva Escocia.

Usted puede download the full CIHI wait times report here.

Most provinces also provide detailed online reports of wait times for certain types of procedures or medical services:

Columbia Británica Espera Quirúrgica Lista Registro
Alberta Lista de espera de registro
Saskatchewan Red de Cuidado Quirúrgico
Servicios de Salud de Manitoba Espera Información Tiempo
Ontario’s Wait Time Strategy Website
Ontario’s Cardiac Care Network
Ontario’s Cancer Care Wait Times Website
Quebec’s Web site on Surgery and Treatment Waiting Lists
Nuevo Brunswick Red del Cuidado Quirúrgico
Nova Scotia Wait Times

También puede read more about the Canadian health care system in general in our Primeros pasos: Cuidado de la Salud section.

Foto © Carolyn B. Heller