title: [Waiting list in general and digestive surgery: patient expectations, quality of life during waiting time and overall satisfaction].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The structural resources of the National Health system are limited, and therefore early surgery cannot be performed on all patients. The objective was to analyse the satisfaction perceived by the patient as regards the delay of treatment by waiting list of three types of surgery. The influence of expectations on waiting times, and impaired quality of life due to the clinical symptoms during the delay, were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted using a postal questionnaire. We compared the expectations (scale of 1 to 5), the impact on quality of life for symptoms (scale of 1 to 5) and the level of patient satisfaction (scale of 1 to 5) with respect to time on the waitng list for cholelithiasis, inguinal hernia and haemorrhoids. The predictors of patient dissatisfaction were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 57 patients were included. When comparing the characteristics of patients with and without satisfaction over time on the waiting list, days on the waiting list (P=.044), the change in the quality of life due to the symptoms (P=.028), and expectations (P<.001) were significantly different between the two groups. In the multivariate analysis, the expectation was associated with patient dissatisfaction as regards the time on waiting list (OR: 3.14 95% CI: 5.91 to 220.73, P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of patient dissatisfaction is associated with expectations about time in waiting list.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: david.pares@pssjd.org.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parés
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermoso
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Comajuncosas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gris
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lopez-Negre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urgellés
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orbeal
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vallverdú
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jimeno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cirugía general; General surgery; Lista de espera; Patient satisfaction; Satisfacción del paciente; Waiting list