Definition of a Wait List

Is a Wait List a scheduling Mechanism in Catalyst?

No, the wait list is not a scheduler. The Group Module and the Activity Log are used for grouping clients and for scheduling an appointment.

What is the definition of an active Wait List? Do clients need to be on it in order for it to be Active?

An Active Wait List in Catalyst means it has not been deleted. It does not require clients to be on it, to be active.

Use of Wait List Information by DATIS

Collection of the Wait List Information in Catalyst

Catalyst contains a Wait List module which collects wait statistics that meet MIS definitions. All the information in this FAQ document and all the information that will be included in the Wait List reporting will be extracted from the Wait List module only.

DATIS will collect information about programs that have no wait times for clients. This information is valuable for reporting and will be stored in the database and used in reporting.

You can create a wait list for any program at any time. However, agencies are advised to inform DATIS via our helpdesk that there is a wait list now set up for that particular program and clients are now subject to wait times. This allows DATIS to keep up-to-date information for all programs especially for those programs previously noted as having zero wait times in the database.

Scenarios for Wait List Data Input

When a client is referred to a program/waiting for service, but has not yet had a first visit and is still waiting for service. (This is based on MIS definitions). Use the date of the internal referral as the “Date Put on the Wait List” for the service.

When the agency has initiated the program with the client, i.e. after the actual first visit when the service was provided. Catalyst uses the registration date of the program as the date that the client received service.

What if a client is re-admitted to the agency within a short period of time and is referred directly to a program?

A client phones or walks in to an agency, a quick intake is done and the client is deemed appropriate to be admitted. An appointment is made with the client to be assessed the following week. What date should be entered as the date the client is put on the waiting list?

The date that the client phones or walks in to the agency and is deemed appropriate to receive services.

Do we remove the client from the Wait List if we find that the client who is booked for an appointment, does not show up on the day of the appointment and will not be re-booking?

Yes, from the Client Wait List Information screen, select the Wait List for the client, select ‘Removed’ in the Wait List status and ‘Client dropped out’ as ‘Reason for Removal’ and enter the date when you were notified that the client refused to be rebooked as the “date the client was Removed” from the Wait List.

No, wait times are calculated when a client shows up for a service and gets registered in a program. The clients who do not receive service have no wait times and therefore are not included in the MIS reports.

If the client would like to reschedule the original appointment or if the agency has availability and the client is not able to attend, in order not to over report the number of days waited for your agency, remove the client from the wait list using a new category added by DATIS called “Client rebooked” and a Date Removed equal to the date that the client declined the service. When re-adding the client to the wait list a start date equal to when the client was contacted and declined the appointment should be used.

What if a client is on a wait list for one month and then contacts the agency saying they can no longer wait for service at that agency and have found other services elsewhere? Are the days waiting for service counted at the agency that did not provide the waited for service? What is the number of wait days?

The client should be removed from the wait list and the agency should indicate in the Wait List Status, ‘Waited too long’ as a reason for removal. According to MIS definitions, the wait times are not counted because the client never received the service. The definitions are being fine tuned and revised by the MOH which might impact how calculations will be done in the future. It is therefore important to keep track of the reasons of removal from a Wait List and the date removed from the Wait List.

What should be the date the client is put on the Wait List if they are referred internally to another program in another FC (for example referred from Withdrawal Management to Community Treatment)? 

When I add a client to a wait list, the date put on the wait list is defaulted to a date. What is this date? Can it be changed?

This date is the date that the client was referred to your agency and is taken from the admission screen if the client has an open or pending admission. If the client has no open admission, the referred date is taken from the client screen. If the referred date is not provided on the client screen, then the “Date put on the Wait List” will be blank. Since the “Date put on a Wait List” is critical for reporting, it is very important to enter the correct date. The referred date is only a default and should be changed if it is not correct.

Wait List Reporting

Wait statistics are reported by Functional Centre in MIS. In Catalyst, programs are mapped to functional centres as well as to PSCs. If a client is on a wait list for two programs in the same functional centre, and if the client receives service in one of them and is still waiting for the second one, then according to MIS definitions, the services have been initiated in this functional centre. After this first visit in the FC, any wait times for other services in the same FC will not be counted as wait times.  For example, a client is on two wait lists one for individual counselling and another for family therapy and both of these programs are mapped to the COM Clinics/Programs - Addictions Treatment - Substance Abuse functional centre. If the client is admitted to individual counseling first, but is still waiting for family therapy program, the wait statistics will consider this client no longer waiting for service in this functional centre. This is because they have now been admitted to the first program, individual counseling in that FC.

The first registration to a program within a FC will be counted in the MIS report, subsequent program registrations within the same FC and within the same admission will not have any affect on the MIS report.

When I register a client in a program, I sometimes get a message saying:  

This is the first program registration in this functional centre for this admission and the client has not been put on a wait list for this functional centre. If you want to add this client to a wait list for this program, please click OK.

Why do I get this message and will I get it on every program registration?

If your agency created a wait list in your Catalyst database for a program “X” that is in the Functional Centre “FC1”, but the client is not on this wait list when you register them in this program, you will get this message and have the option to add the client to the Wait List or leave them off the existing Wait List – You will get this message only if this is the first program registration during an admission in FC1. If you then register the client in program “Y” that is mapped to the same Functional Centre “FC1”, this message will not appear.