The true cost of hidden waiting times for cataract surgery in Australia
Melbourne Laureate Emeritus Professor Hugh Taylor and co-authors have received the 2023 ‘Best Paper’ award from the Sax Institute for their paper ‘The true cost of hidden waiting times for cataract surgery in Australia’ published in Public Health Research and Practice.
The annual Public Health Research & Practice Excellence Awards were established in 2018 to celebrate the high calibre of articles published in the journal and are used to promote excellence in public health research, practice and policy and recognise the inspirational work taking place in Australia and internationally. The Sax Institute announced the awards on 9 November 2023.
The paper highlights the true waiting time for cataract surgery in Australia that includes both the published hospital waiting times for surgery and the time elapsed from diagnosis and referral until a patient gets on a surgical waiting list. An investment in public cataract services modelled to reduce waiting times would provide cost savings and prevent avoidable vision impairment. The paper recommends policy changes to support culturally appropriate services, fast tracking of referrals and prioritisation of surgery for Indigenous patients to address current inequities in access.
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