Pediatric Surgical Outreach: An Underutilized Resource for Increasing Children's Surgical Capacity in Canada | Cross-sectional retrospective survey | 18 survey respondents | Surgical outreach services are available in: | 7/10 provinces and | 8/18 of Canadian children's hospitals | Current Outreach Programs | Selective inpatient coverage (2 sites) | Outpatient surgery (6 sites) | Outpatient ambulatory clinic (19 sites) | Outreach services help... | wait times | travel costs for families | health disparities | Conclusion: Less than half of Canadian children's hospitals have outreach programs. Expanding these could improve access to surgical care for children in remote areas. | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39865003/ | Brar A et al. | Department of Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada | @LizzyPAC8 | @globalcastmd | @StayCurrentMD | Cincinnati Children's | Journal of Pediatric Surgery
Pediatric Surgical Outreach: An Underutilized Resource for Increasing Children's Surgical Capacity in Canada
Infographic · Jul 2025 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
National survey reveals only 44% of Canadian children's hospitals offer pediatric surgical outreach services despite unprecedented wait times. Outreach programs provide inpatient coverage, outpatient surgery, and ambulatory clinics at community sites, with potential to improve access for geographically remote children.
- Only 44% of Canadian children's hospitals offer pediatric surgical outreach despite unprecedented wait times for hospital-based services.
- Outreach services span 7 provinces including inpatient coverage, outpatient surgery, and ambulatory clinics at distances up to 1881 km.
- Community-based outreach is an underutilized strategy to increase surgical capacity and improve access for geographically remote children.
- Median outreach frequency is 1 surgical slate per week and 1 clinic per month, suggesting significant room for expansion.
- Expanding outreach programs could address capacity constraints without requiring new children's hospital infrastructure.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the infographic.
The infographic uses a teal and yellow color scheme with four main sections arranged vertically. The top section features a clipboard icon and presents survey methodology. The middle sections use green boxes to categorize different outreach program types, with yellow arrows highlighting benefits. A hospital illustration appears in the lower right, and social media handles are shown at the bottom left.
Amanpreet Brar, Kenneth W. Gow, Erik D. Skarsgard
Background
Wait times for children's hospital-based surgical services are at unprecedented levels. Opportunities to increase most children's hospital-based service capacity are sparse, and community-based services are a potential patient-centered alternative. The aim of this study was to understand the current state of pediatric surgical outreach in Canada as an option to address these challenges.
Methods
An electronic survey was sent to all (n = 18) Canadian children's hospital surgical leaders inquiring about “outreach services” defined as inpatient/outpatient services provided by pediatric surgeons outside of children's hospitals. Descriptive analysis of outreach included facility type/location (by postal code), nature and frequency of service, and participation of other specialties.
Results
18 survey respondents (100 %) reported that pediatric surgical outreach services were available in 7 out of 10 provinces, but only 8/18 (44 %) of Canadian children's hospitals. Services include: i) inpatient coverage at 2 sites in 2 provinces; ii) outpatient surgery at 6 sites in 3 provinces (median distance 69 km, range 6–1881 km from home children's hospital); and iii) outpatient ambulatory clinics at 19 sites in 4 provinces (median distance 18 km, range 4–1448 km from home children's hospital). Median frequencies of outreach surgical slates and clinics were 1 per week and 1 per month, respectively.
Conclusion
Less than half of Canadian children's hospitals have developed outreach programs as a strategy to increase capacity for children's surgical services. To promote improved surgical care for all Canadian children, efforts targeting expansion of outreach capacity could increase access for geographically remote children.