Public reporting on health system performance is an essential part of health care improvement. This we know. But in order for such reporting to be effective, the data being reported has to be read and, if necessary, acted upon by those for whom it is intended.
The history of public reporting in Ontario is a short one. And its significance comes to a point as Health Quality Ontario publishes its 10th yearly edition of the performance of our health care system.
Health equity is one of the six dimensions of quality, as defined by the Institute of Medicine and adopted by Health Quality Ontario.
Health Quality Ontario’s latest report looks at palliative care. We look at the care and services people received during their last month of life to understand how the health care system is serving people as they near the end of their lives.
Health Quality Ontario’s latest report reviews responses from a recent Commonwealth Fund survey of family doctors across Canada and the world and shows areas where Ontario’s care services can improve.