Health Quality Ontario, now the Quality business unit of Ontario Health has released Measuring Up 2019 — a yearly report on the performance of Ontario’s health system. This year’s report, with Bright Lights award winner Dr. Paul Gill, Maitland Valley FHT on the cover, is based on the Quadruple Aim of health care improvement: better health outcomes, better patient experience, better provider experience, and better value and efficiency.
The key findings in this year’s report show that many parts of the system are working well or improving:
- The proportion of common cancer surgeries completed within the recommended maximum wait time increased substantially in the last decade.
- More Ontarians say they can email their primary care provider when they have a medical question, compared to five years ago.
- Most people who were hospitalized say they received enough information about what to do if they had problems after leaving hospital.
The report also reveals key areas where improvement is needed:
- Many people often wait for hours in the emergency department to get admitted to a hospital bed.
- Once admitted, they may get stuck in the hospital for months as they wait for care elsewhere.
- Wait times for long-term care homes also continue to be an issue.
Other findings include:
- About 69% of Ontarians say the timing to see their primary care provider when they were sick or had a health problem was “about right.” About 17% say their wait was “somewhat long” and about 13% say it was “much too long.”
- In a 2019 survey, 54% of primary care doctors in Ontario reported that their job was “extremely” or “very” stressful, while 37% said it was “somewhat” stressful.
- Ontarians’ life expectancy is flattening, mainly due to a steep increase in opioid-related deaths.