ArticleBMJ open2019
Winter cancellations of elective surgical procedures in the UK: a questionnaire survey of patients on the economic and psychological impact.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Postponement and Cancellations in Elective Care study: a national evaluation of case postponements and cancellations in elective surgical pathways.British journal of anaesthesia · 2026Article
- Impact of Scheduled Outpatient Endoscopy Procedures on Inpatient Endoscopy Procedures: Prospective Analysis from a Single Tertiary Care Center.Digestive diseases and sciences · 2026Article
- An overnight sensation: the effect of an acute introduction of a short-stay pathway on a previously compromised arthroplasty service.Bone & joint open · 2025Article
- Cybersecurity Interventions in Health Care Organizations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Article
- Trends in incidence and average waiting time for arthroplasty from 1998-2021: an observational study of 282,367 patients from the Scottish arthroplasty project.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2024Observational
- Adaptive strategies used by surgical teams under pressure: an interview study among senior healthcare professionals in four major hospitals in the United Kingdom.Patient safety in surgery · 2024Article
- Bibliometric Research on Surgical Scheduling Management from the Perspective of Web of Science.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Article
- Observational
- Narrative Review of New Insight into the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiovascular Care.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Review
- A Pilot Study of Augmented Intelligence Risk-Based Stratification for Endocrine Surgical Waiting List Prioritisation.Cureus · 2022Article
- The effects of social distancing and self-isolation on functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Current urology · 2022Article
- Identifying and Understanding the Non-Clinical Impacts of Delayed or Cancelled Surgery in Order to Inform Prioritisation Processes: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Outpatient ureteric stent removal following kidney transplantation.The British journal of surgery · 2022Article
- Is it safe to perform elective gynaecologic surgery during the two peaks of COVID-19 pandemic?International journal of clinical practice · 2021Article
- Non-medical risk factors associated with postponing elective surgery: a prospective observational study.BMC medical ethics · 2021Observational
- COVID-19 in Women's health: Pre-operative gynaecological assessment and shared decision making.Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2021Review
- Increasing patient flow through neurosurgical critical care: the Leeds Improvement Method.BMJ open quality · 2021Article
- Impacts of elective surgical cancellations and postponements in Canada.Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie · 2021Article
- How to prioritize patients and redesign care to safely resume planned surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.Bone & joint open · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesTo quantify the economic and psychological impact of the cancellation of operations due to winter pressures on patients, their families and the economy.
designThis questionnaire study was designed with the help of patient groups. Data were collected on the economic and financial burden of cancellations. Emotions were also quantified on a 5-point Likert scale.
settingFive NHS Hospital Trusts in the East Midlands region of England.
participantsWe identified 796 participants who had their elective operations cancelled between 1 November 2017 and 31 March 2018 and received responses from 339 (43%) participants.
interventionsParticipants were posted a modified version of a validated quality of life questionnaire with a prepaid return envelope.
main outcome measuresThe primary outcome measures were the financial and psychological impact of the cancellation of elective surgery on patients and their families.
resultsOf the 339 respondents, 163 (48%) were aged <65 years, with 111 (68%) being in employment. Sixty-six (19%) participants had their operations cancelled on the day. Only 69 (62%) of working adults were able to return to work during the time scheduled for their operation, with a mean loss of 5 working days (SD 10). Additional working days were lost subsequently by 60 (54%) participants (mean 7 days (SD 10)). Family members of 111 (33%) participants required additional time off work (mean 5 days (SD 7)). Over 30% of participants reported extreme levels of sadness, disappointment, anger, frustration and stress. At least moderate concern about continued symptoms was reported by 234 (70%) participants, and 193 (59%) participants reported at least moderate concern about their deteriorating condition.
conclusionsThe cancellation of elective surgery during the winter had an adverse impact on patients and the economy, including days of work lost and health-related anxiety. We recommend better planning, and provision of more notice and better support to patients.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.