Research plan The plan involves a randomized controlled clinical trial assigning joint replacement candidates to either a 1-2 month wait or a 7-8 month wait. We will ask patients on both waiting lists to complete QOL and economic assessment questionnaires at the start of waiting, the end of waiting and every six months for 36 months post randomization. Outcome measures will be the WOMAC, the Oxford 12-Item Hip and Knee score, the SF-36, the HUI3, resource utilization information drawn from patient questionnaires and administrative databases, and a measure of patient satisfaction. The analysis will use univariate and multivariate predictive models. In addition we will be assess health trajectories and relative utilization costs.