Access delays to essential surgical care using the Three Delays Framework and Bellwether procedures at Timor Leste's national referral hospital.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Our objectives were to characterise the nature and extent of delay times to essential surgical care in a developing nation by measuring the actual stages of delay for patients receiving Bellwether procedures.

Setting

The study was conducted at Timor Leste's national referral hospital in Dili, the country's capital.

Participants

All patients requiring a Bellwether procedure over a 2-month period were included in the study. Participants whose procedure was undertaken more than 24 hours from initial hospital presentation were excluded.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Data pertaining to the patient journey from onset of symptoms to emergency procedure was collected by interview of patients, their treating surgeons or anaesthetists and the medical

SUBMITTER: Bagguley D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6720142 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature