title: Waiting time prioritisation for specialist services in Italy: the homogeneous waiting time groups approach.
abstract: The demand for referrals and diagnostic procedures in Italy has been rising constantly in recent years, making access to diagnostic services increasingly difficult with significant waiting times. A number of Health Authorities (known as Local Health Units) have responded by implementing formalised waiting-time prioritisation tools, giving rise to what are known as Homogeneous Waiting Groups (HWGs). The study describes the implementation of the HWG approach in Italy. This represents a promising tool for improving the prioritisation of patients waiting to see a specialist or to receive a diagnostic test. The study of the Italian HWG experience provides useful insights to improve the outpatient referral process for those countries where the demand prioritisation policies have focused more on inpatient care than outpatient specialist care and diagnostic services.
authors.affiliation: Medical Direction - Hospital of Rovereto, LHU APSS, Corso Verona, 4, 38068 Rovereto, Italy. Electronic address: giuliano.mariotti@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Related Studies, University of York, York, UK. Electronic address: luigi.siciliani@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Siciliani
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Management, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Electronic address: vincenzo.rebba@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rebba
authors.affiliation: Medical Direction - Hospital of Rovereto, LHU APSS, Corso Verona, 4, 38068 Rovereto, Italy. Electronic address: rita.fellini@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fellini
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Service, LHU APSS, Viale Verona, 38123 Trento, Italy. Electronic address: maria.gentilini@apss.tn.it.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gentilini
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, LHU Ferrara Province, Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: g.benea@ausl.fe.it.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benea
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Merano, LHU Bozen Province, Merano, Italy. Electronic address: Pierpaolo.Bertoli@asbmeran-o.it.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.affiliation: LHU Genova, Genova, Italy. Electronic address: Lorenzo.Bistolfi@asl3.liguria.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bistolfi
authors.affiliation: LHU Ragusa, Ragusa, Italy. Electronic address: sbrugaletta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brugaletta
authors.affiliation: LHU Lecce, Maglie, Italy. Electronic address: pcamboa@email.it.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Camboa
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Information Systems, Regional Health Authority - Umbria Region, Perugia, Italy. Electronic address: pcasucci@regione.umbria.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casucci
authors.affiliation: LHU Savona, Savona, Italy. Electronic address: d.dessi@asl2.liguria.it.
authors.forename: Dino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dessi
authors.affiliation: LHU Treviso, Treviso, Italy. Electronic address: pietropaolo.faronato@ulss.belluno.it.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Faronato
authors.affiliation: Governance of Outpatient Service, LHU 2 Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy. Electronic address: mariangela.galante@asl2abruzzo.it.
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galante
authors.affiliation: LHU Feltre, Feltre, Italy. Electronic address: alessiogioffredi@libero.it.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gioffredi
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Potenza, Potenza, Italy. Electronic address: teresa.guarino@ospedalesancarlo.it.
authors.forename: Teresa Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.affiliation: Hospital of Viterbo, LHU Viterbo, Italy. Electronic address: enrico.pofi57@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pofi
authors.affiliation: National Agency on Regional Healthcare Services, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: carloliva@katamail.com.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liva
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D006292:Health Priorities; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D013038:Specialization; D013997:Time Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists
keywords: Diffusion of innovation; Outpatient services; Primary care; Prioritisation; Waiting lists