Coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Newfoundland and Labrador

Background: Newfoundland and Labrador, like other health care jurisdictions, is faced with widening gaps between the demands for health care and a strained ability to supply the necessary resources. The authors carried out a study to de-termine the rates of appropriate and inappropriate coronary art...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: George A. Fox, Msc Jonathan O’dea, Patrick S. Parfrey
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.604.4243
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/158/9/1137.full.pdf
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Summary:Background: Newfoundland and Labrador, like other health care jurisdictions, is faced with widening gaps between the demands for health care and a strained ability to supply the necessary resources. The authors carried out a study to de-termine the rates of appropriate and inappropriate coronary artery bypass graft-ing (CABG) in the province and the waiting times for this surgery. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was performed in the tertiary care hospi-tal that receives all referrals for coronary angiography and coronary artery revas-cularization for Newfoundland and Labrador. By reviewing the hospital records, the authors identified 2 groups of patients: those in whom critical coronary artery disease was diagnosed on the basis of coronary angiography and who were referred for CABG between Apr. 1, 1994, and Mar. 31, 1995, and those who actually underwent the procedure during that period. By applying specific criteria developed by the RAND Corporation, the authors determined the appro-priateness and necessity of CABG in each case. They also compared waiting