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Performance reporting

September 2004

As part of a commitment to increase accountability and provide better reporting to Canadians, the First Ministers agreed to provide clear reporting on the Health system as set out in the September 2000 Health Communiqué and the February 2003 Health Care Renewal Accord.

Each province, territory and the federal government publishes its own report featuring an agreed upon number of common indicators. The reports help the public understand how their health services are funded and delivered and whether governments are achieving the goal of healthier citizens. Jurisdictions will be able to share information about what they do best so that the health system will continually improve.

What is Performance Reporting?

  • Performance reporting is the federal, provincial and territorial governments providing information to Canadians using agreed-upon, comparable health indicators.
  • Information from this kind of reporting includes data and discussions on a number of key health themes, such as: primary health care, home care, catastrophic drug and pharmaceutical management, diagnostic equipment, morbidity and mortality as well as access to health services.
  • Performance indicators allow us to create a "snapshot" of the current health status of Canadians and the performance of our health system.

Why is Performance Reporting important?

  • Governments use performance indicators to identify trends and assess the effectiveness of health policy, programs and services, and to support the development and implementation of health system policy.
  • The reporting is of value to governments, researchers, and the public, especially in their discussion of health improvement and reform in Canada.

Benefits for Canadians

Measuring, tracking and reporting to citizens on health status and performance:

  • allows Canadians to see how well the health care system is performing;
  • assists those responsible for health care delivery to make more informed decisions;
  • promotes the identification and sharing of best practices, contributing to service innovations;
  • increases our understanding of the use and outcomes of health services; and
  • helps Canadians understand how publicly funded health services are being delivered.

Progress to date

  • Pursuant to the September 2000 First Minister"s Communiqué on Health , federal, provincial and territorial governments released reports in September 2002 on 67 indicators on the themes of health status, health outcomes and quality of health care services.
  • In February 2003, the First Ministers" Accord on Health Care Renewal directed Health Ministers to further develop indicators to supplement the work begun with the 2000 First Minister"s Communiqué on Health .

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