Orthopaedic patients in Norway show flexibility:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Patients waiting for surgery in Norway are more willing to travel to hospitals outside their county for treatment than had been assumed. An analysis of the orthopaedic waiting lists at hospitals in Oslo and near Trondheim has shown that 60% of patients would be happy to travel to a different county for surgery if it cut waiting times by more than two months. The Norwegian Health Ministry has been trying to improve its waiting time guarantee system to ensure patients with serious conditions receive treatment within three months.