ventetidsregistre

Ventetidsregistre, or waiting time registry, is a health information system that collects and stores data on patients’ waiting times for planned medical services, including consultations, diagnostics, and elective treatments. The registry aims to provide an overview of access to care, support planning, and improve transparency and equity in the health system.

Data elements typically include an anonymized patient identifier, age and sex where available, geographic region, medical specialty, reason for referral, dates of referral and first contact, urgency level, scheduled date, actual service date, wait time, and service outcome. It may also record delays, reasons for delay, cancellations, and subsequent treatments or referrals.

Data sources are hospitals, clinics, and regional health authorities, with updates on varying cadences (daily, weekly, or monthly). Standardized data definitions and interoperability enable benchmarking across providers and regions. The registry supports monitoring of wait times, policy decisions, resource allocation, and public reporting of average or percentile-based wait times by urgency category and service type.

Privacy and governance: access is restricted to authorized personnel; data are commonly de-identified for public reporting; compliance with privacy and data protection laws is required. A governance framework typically defines data quality checks, definitions, and rules for data sharing and publication.

Challenges and benefits: While coverage and timeliness can vary, ventetidsregistre can improve queue management, transparency for patients, and evidence-based planning to reduce inequities in access to care.