A new report looks at areas where the province has improved — and where it still needs to
Health Quality Ontario, the province’s advisor on quality of healthcare, has released its eleventh annual report on the Ontario health system’s performance. While the provincial health system has done well on numerous fronts, it still needs to work in a number of areas.
On the whole, Ontarians appear to be living longer. In terms of premature mortality, the province has improved from 5,120 potential years of life lost per 100,000 population in 2003 to 4,221 per 100,000 in 2013. The province also has the lowest premature mortality rate in Canada.
Among Ontarians who visited a primary care doctor three times or more over the past few years, a majority had at least three-quarters of their visits with the same doctor. There was also an improvement in screening rates, with the rate of people overdue for colorectal cancer screening declining from 43.6% in 2011 to 38.7% in 2015.
In terms of wait times to see a surgeon, between 83% and 87% of cancer patients are seen within the target wait times. The proportion of cancer surgeries that were performed within the target timeframe from the patient’s decision to have the procedure also increased year-over-year between 2008/09 and 2015/16 for all priority levels.
But Ontario also slipped on various other measures of access. The report found a decrease in patients who had surgery within the target time for hip and knee replacements, which are becoming increasingly common. The proportion of people going to emergency for a mental illness or addiction without seeing a doctor or psychiatrist previously (33.1% in 2015) also has to be reduced.
Equity was another issue. During the period between 2010 and 2012, the number ranged premature mortality rate varied across regions, from 7,647 years per 100,000 people in the North West LHIN region to 3,026 years per 100,000 in the Central LHIN region. Same-day or next-day access to primary care varied from 22% in the North East LHIN region to a high of 60.3% in the Central West LHIN region.
There were also income inequities among urban residents. The highest proportion of people overdue for colorectal cancer screening in 2015 was found among urban-dwellers from low-income neighbourhoods at 46.5%. Among those in the highest-income neighbourhoods, the number dropped to 32.7%.
There were also issues in transitioning from one care setting to another. In 2016/17, patients spent an average of 15.2 hours in the emergency department before being admitted to hospital. In addition, people placed in hospital beds during 2015/16 could have spent 13.9% of their inpatient days receiving care elsewhere, such as a long-term care home or at home. Of those who were able to transition to at-home care, only 56.7% strongly agreed that they felt involved in developing their own care plan.
Related stories:
Reductions in unnecessary and inappropriate medical procedures urged
Despite Health Act rules against user fees, enforcement issues remain
On the whole, Ontarians appear to be living longer. In terms of premature mortality, the province has improved from 5,120 potential years of life lost per 100,000 population in 2003 to 4,221 per 100,000 in 2013. The province also has the lowest premature mortality rate in Canada.
Among Ontarians who visited a primary care doctor three times or more over the past few years, a majority had at least three-quarters of their visits with the same doctor. There was also an improvement in screening rates, with the rate of people overdue for colorectal cancer screening declining from 43.6% in 2011 to 38.7% in 2015.
In terms of wait times to see a surgeon, between 83% and 87% of cancer patients are seen within the target wait times. The proportion of cancer surgeries that were performed within the target timeframe from the patient’s decision to have the procedure also increased year-over-year between 2008/09 and 2015/16 for all priority levels.
But Ontario also slipped on various other measures of access. The report found a decrease in patients who had surgery within the target time for hip and knee replacements, which are becoming increasingly common. The proportion of people going to emergency for a mental illness or addiction without seeing a doctor or psychiatrist previously (33.1% in 2015) also has to be reduced.
Equity was another issue. During the period between 2010 and 2012, the number ranged premature mortality rate varied across regions, from 7,647 years per 100,000 people in the North West LHIN region to 3,026 years per 100,000 in the Central LHIN region. Same-day or next-day access to primary care varied from 22% in the North East LHIN region to a high of 60.3% in the Central West LHIN region.
There were also income inequities among urban residents. The highest proportion of people overdue for colorectal cancer screening in 2015 was found among urban-dwellers from low-income neighbourhoods at 46.5%. Among those in the highest-income neighbourhoods, the number dropped to 32.7%.
There were also issues in transitioning from one care setting to another. In 2016/17, patients spent an average of 15.2 hours in the emergency department before being admitted to hospital. In addition, people placed in hospital beds during 2015/16 could have spent 13.9% of their inpatient days receiving care elsewhere, such as a long-term care home or at home. Of those who were able to transition to at-home care, only 56.7% strongly agreed that they felt involved in developing their own care plan.
Related stories:
Reductions in unnecessary and inappropriate medical procedures urged
Despite Health Act rules against user fees, enforcement issues remain
