- Joined
- Jan 3, 2008
- Messages
- 946
I don't believe I have ever posted this on the forum yet, if I did I am sorry!! But these are some stats from a couple of years ago (which I doubt have changed very much since) about what Digestive Diseases (like an IBD) does, plus the facts on GI waiting lists in Canada. It should help some of you understand why most of my problems just aren't diagnosed...:
Digestive Diseases cause:
~ 15% of the economic burden of Canadian health costs
~ Short-term loss of productivity in Canada, totalling $1.14 billion per year
~ 150,000 sick days a year (costing $22 million) in Canada, and 3 million sick days a year (costing $330 million U.S.) in the U.S....all caused by diarrhea
~ 12% of all hospitalizations
~ 20% of all tissue growths, like tumours
Other Facts:
~ despite the increased need for treating digestive diseases, there is more medical staff and university training to mental, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological disciplines
~ the Canadian government gives more support to neurological and cardiovascular research than it does for digestive diseases
Waiting...waiting...still waiting: << this is Canadian data...
~ 2 out of 4 wait more than 2 months to see a GI
~ 1 out of 4 wait more than 4 months to see a GI
~ when patients finally do see a GI:
....~ 2 out of 4 wait 6 weeks for a diagnostic test
....~ 1 out of 4 wait 4 months for a diagnostic test
~ wait times are long regardles if referred to community or university hospitals
~ in a community of 100,000 - 500,000 citizens, 1 out of 4 wait more than 8 months
Even more waiting:
~ more than 1/3 of those referred to GIs have alarm symptoms, which may be as serious as cancer
....~ 50% of these wait at least 2 months
....~ 1 out of 4 wait 8 months just for the consultation
~ 2 out of 4 classified as "urgent" who should be seen within 7 days wait 2 weeks
~ 1 out of 4 classified as "urgent" wait more than 5 weeks
The Affects:
~ 1 out of 5 waiting to see a GI miss work
~ 1 out of 4 waiting to see a GI is affected in day-to-day functioning
~ 1 out of 3 waiting to see a GI experience anxiety [/U]
Digestive Diseases cause:
~ 15% of the economic burden of Canadian health costs
~ Short-term loss of productivity in Canada, totalling $1.14 billion per year
~ 150,000 sick days a year (costing $22 million) in Canada, and 3 million sick days a year (costing $330 million U.S.) in the U.S....all caused by diarrhea
~ 12% of all hospitalizations
~ 20% of all tissue growths, like tumours
Other Facts:
~ despite the increased need for treating digestive diseases, there is more medical staff and university training to mental, cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological disciplines
~ the Canadian government gives more support to neurological and cardiovascular research than it does for digestive diseases
Waiting...waiting...still waiting: << this is Canadian data...
~ 2 out of 4 wait more than 2 months to see a GI
~ 1 out of 4 wait more than 4 months to see a GI
~ when patients finally do see a GI:
....~ 2 out of 4 wait 6 weeks for a diagnostic test
....~ 1 out of 4 wait 4 months for a diagnostic test
~ wait times are long regardles if referred to community or university hospitals
~ in a community of 100,000 - 500,000 citizens, 1 out of 4 wait more than 8 months
Even more waiting:
~ more than 1/3 of those referred to GIs have alarm symptoms, which may be as serious as cancer
....~ 50% of these wait at least 2 months
....~ 1 out of 4 wait 8 months just for the consultation
~ 2 out of 4 classified as "urgent" who should be seen within 7 days wait 2 weeks
~ 1 out of 4 classified as "urgent" wait more than 5 weeks
The Affects:
~ 1 out of 5 waiting to see a GI miss work
~ 1 out of 4 waiting to see a GI is affected in day-to-day functioning
~ 1 out of 3 waiting to see a GI experience anxiety [/U]
