During the current global pandemic, many health systems have diverted their resources to COVID-19 efforts and quickly reached capacity, resulting in the cancellation or postponement of medical care for non-COVID-19 patients. This has led to a large backlog of appointments and procedures, which are clogging schedules and preventing or delaying other patients from receiving the care they need.

According to a report provided by Medefer, a healthcare provider to the National Health Service, 1.3 million patients in the United Kingdom have been added to waiting lists to see a specialist and there is already an existing backlog of 4.4 million people. By Fall 2020, it is predicted that more than seven million patients will be on hospital waiting lists due to delays caused by COVID-19. Another study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery estimates that it could take anywhere from 7 to 16 months for the healthcare system to work through the backlog of elective surgeries that were scheduled before the pandemic.

As many health systems begin to manage their backlog and start resuming elective surgeries and other services, they are tasked with prioritizing patients who have the most critical and urgent health needs. Generally, hospitals rank surgeries based on the urgency of a patient’s health condition. For example, St. Louis University’s Elective Surgery Acuity Scale (ESAS) is a tool that offers guidance for ranking surgeries.

According to the ESAS, high-acuity surgeries that require more intense care and intervention should still be performed in a hospital and on schedule. Low-acuity surgeries can either be postponed or performed at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC), which is an outpatient facility that discharges patients on the same day of their procedure. Another factor that can have an impact on a health system’s backlog is location. Some states and cities have a higher number of coronavirus infections or are experiencing a resurgence, which can further delay elective surgeries due to a shortage of resources.

It’s also important for health systems and medical providers to maintain regular communication and re-engage with patients that have been backlogged. Patient engagement is essential for optimizing patient and financial outcomes. During the past few months, telehealth has grown in popularity due to its ability to help providers stay connected with patients and decide whether an office visit is needed for further evaluation.

While it will take some time to get back on track, healthcare systems and providers that use the right tools for effective triage and engagement can improve their backlog management. By restarting the process sooner rather than later, more patients will be able to receive the healthcare they need, while providers can re-engage with patients that have been backlogged.

To learn more about Within Health’s patient engagement suite, schedule time with our team.