Ending Waiting-List Mismanagement: Principles and Practice.

An Abyss divided common understandings about waiting lists from evidence about their nature and causes and what might work to rationalize them. In a recent comprehensive report for Health Canada we found that the state of waiting-list information and management systems in Canada is Woefully inadequate, particularly for elective procedures. Here, we identify key lessons and outline a number of initiatives that should contribute to more durable solutions, both in Canada and other countries experiencing similar problems.