Health : Canada/International Links

Santé : Liens canadiens et internationaux

Updated March 23, 2008
Page révisée le 23 mars 2008

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What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

March 19, 2008
Study: Health care use among gay, lesbian and bisexual Canadians, 2003 and 2005
A new study published today in Health Reports provides the first national picture of health care use by sexual orientation. It shows that the use of health care services differs depending on self-identified sexual preference.

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Tackling health inequalities: 2007 Status Report on the Programme for Action
March 13, 2008
The status report provides a review of developments against the data since the publication of the Programme for Action in 2003. It considers progress against the Public Service Agreement (PSA) target, the national headline indicators and against government commitments.
Source:
The Wellesley Institute ]
The Wellesley Institute advances the social determinants of health through rigorous community-based research, reciprocal capacity building, and the informing of public policy.

Complete report:

From the U.K. Department of Health:

* Tackling health inequalities: 2007 Status Report on the Programme for Action (PDF file - 2.2MB, 111 pages)
* Tackling health inequalities: 2005 Status report on the Programme for Action
* Tackling health inequalities: 2003-05 data update for the national 2010 PSA target
* Tackling health inequalities: A Programme for Action

These links will take you further down on the page you're reading now:
Drug Assistance Programs and Expenditures in Canada
Health Care in Canada reports (Canadian Institute for Health Information)
Call for a National Autism Strategy
The Health of Canadians - December 2006 (from the Canadian Council on Social Development)

16th International AIDS Conference
August 14-18, 2006
Toronto
- incl. links to : Home - Conference Overview - Conference Programme - Abstracts - Scholarships - Satellites, Exhibitions and Affiliated Events - Registration - Hotel Accommodation - Travelling to Canada - Organization - Sponsors - Volunteers - Governance - Virtual Media Centre - Site Map

Related Links - from Barbara Anello at DisAbled Women's Network Ontario:

Daily Roundup from the 16th International AIDS Conference:

Friday, August 18:
Delegates at the closing of the XVI International AIDS conference in Toronto were reminded that now is the "Time to Deliver."

Thursday, August 17:
The XVI International AIDS Conference began today by addressing the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach to HIV that includes elements some say are often overlooked, like human rights and youth.

Wednesday, August 16:
On Wednesday, achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS was a major focus of the conference. The World Health Organization released new estimates of global antiretroviral therapy coverage.

Tuesday, August 15:
The latest Daily Roundup includes comments from actor Richard Gere and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Monday, August 14:
The Daily Roundup for Monday, August 14 looks at the AIDS 2006 theme – Time To Deliver – and features comments from Bill and Melinda Gates and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Health Council of Canada
"The Health Council of Canada is mandated to monitor and report on the progress of health care renewal in Canada."

Health Council of Canada report calls for early, ongoing action
to tackle trouble spots in kids’ health (PDF file 67K, 2 pages)
News Release
WINNIPEG, JUNE 22, 2006 – While the health of Canada’s children and youth is generally good, especially by global standards, there are serious trouble spots within this population that require strategic, immediate and sustained attention, the Health Council of Canada said in a report released today. The report, Their Future Is Now: Healthy Choices for Canada’s Children & Youth, says many of those
problems are in fact preventable – if we act now. The report looks broadly across child health issues, from immunization and obesity risks to mental health and crime prevention, reviews government commitments to improve child health, highlights effective regional programs and the ingredients key to their success, and offers advice for future action.

Backgrounder (PDF file - 51K, 1 page)

Complete report:

Their Future Is Now: Healthy Choices
for Canada’s Children and Youth (2.5MB, 52 pages)
June 2006

Toronto Star op-ed:
Help children do their best
June 21
Dr. Nuala Kenny, chair of the Health Council of Canada’s working group which created Their Future Is Now: Healthy Choices for Canada’s Children & Youth, penned this op-ed piece for the Toronto Star.

No more time to wait:
Toward benchmarks and best practices in wait time management (PDF file - 731K, 65 pages)
March 2005
"Seven national medical organizations have united to release an interim report examining the problem of wait times for health care in Canada and to establish new benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times for care. The Wait Time Alliance of Canada (WTA) released an interim report today. The Report outlines evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times for access to care in: heart, cancer, diagnostic imaging, joint replacement and sight restoration. The report is a direct response to the commitment made by First Ministers in September 2004 (10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care) to establish evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times in the five priority areas. With the deadline fast approaching (December 31, 2005), Federal-Provincial-Territorial governments have commissioned research on this issue, but have yet to come forward with a process to develop national benchmarks."

Wait Time Alliance members:

Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine
Canadian Association of Radiologists
Canadian Cardiovascular Society
Canadian Medical Association
Canadian Orthopaedic Association
Canadian Ophthalmological Society
Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists

[Found on the DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario website]

Jordan's Principle, governments' paralysis
Noni MacDonald, M.D., M.Sc, and Amir Attaran, L.L.B., Ph.D.
August 14, 2007
Children are vulnerable members of our society. They are voiceless in decision-making, subject to the judgments and actions of others. First Nations people are also vulnerable — victims of ill-will and broken promises and suffering from the worst social, economic and health conditions in Canada. So imagine the unenviable situation to be a First Nations child, very sick and living on a reserve where there are minimal children's services.
Source:
Canadian Medical Association Journal
[ Canadian Medical Association ]

For related links, go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

February 21, 2008
Study: Chronic pain in Canadian seniors, 1996/1997 and 2005
Chronic pain affects more than one-quarter of seniors living in households and close to 4 out of every 10 seniors in institutions, and it can have a profound impact on their quality of life, according to a new study.
Chronic pain in Canadian seniors
by Pamela L. Ramage-Morin
Abstract
Findings

February 21, 2008
Study: Health information and the Internet, 2005
More than one-third of Canadian adults, over half of them women, used the Internet to search for health information in 2005, according to a new study. Among those who also visited a doctor, more than one-third discussed the results of their Internet search with their physician. The study, "Getting a second opinion: Health information and the Internet," examines adults' use of the Internet to access health information in 2005.

July 11, 2006
Access to health care services, January to December 2005 (Previous release)
The new report, Access to Health Care Services in Canada, provides updated results of the experiences of patients waiting for care, based on 12 full months of data for 2005. Preliminary results from the first six months of data collection were reported in The Daily on January 31, 2006. The updated report confirms that waiting times remain the number one barrier for Canadians who had difficulties in accessing specialized health care services last year.

Complete report:

Access to Health Care Services in Canada
January to December 2005 (PDF file - 370K, 25 pages)

June 13, 2006
Health Indicators
Today's issue of Health Indicators features the latest data from the third cycle (2005) of Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey.

Complete report:

Health Indicators
Volume 2006, No. 1
Providing the latest readings on the health of Canadians - region by region
This publication, produced jointly by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), is a compilation of over 80 indicators measuring health status, non-medical determinants of health, health-system performance and community and health-system characteristics.
HTML version - use the links in the left margin to navigate your way through this report
PDF version - 501K, 52 pages

Mortality, summary list of causes in 2001 (PDF file - 1MB, 134 pages)
March 2006
["New products", March 9]
"This publication contains statistical tables showing the number of deaths by age, sex and grouped underlying cause for Canada, the provinces and territories. Also included are age-specific and age-standardized mortality rates by grouped underlying cause of death."

More health reports and statistics from StatCan - [ free reports ] - [ reports for sale ]

Source:
Health Statistics Division
[ Statistics Canada ]

How healthy are Canadians? Annual report 2005
February 9, 2006
Complete report (PDF file - 665K, 69 pages)

Table of contents (download individual articles):

Seniors' health care use [highlights - HTML] [full article - PDF]
Predictors of death in seniors [highlights - HTML] [full article - PDF]
Healthy living among seniors [highlights - HTML] [full article - PDF]
Dependency, chronic conditions and pain in seniors [highlights - HTML] [full article - PDF]
Successful aging in health care institutions [highlights - HTML] [full article - PDF]

Source:
Health Reports Supplement
Health Reports ($)
Health Reports is a peer-reviewed quarterly journal produced by the Health Statistics Division at Statistics Canada.

February 7, 2006
Canada's retirement income programs
The financial reserves in Canada's three principal retirement programs, essential to the future of many Canadians, have doubled since 1990, and they represent one of the largest pools of investment capital in the country.
Related link:
Pension savings of Canadians - table shows, for 1993 and 2003, total accumulated assets of Canadians including public plans, Registered pension plans, Registered retirement savings plans and supplementary retirement income programs.

December 6, 2005
Study: Political activity among young adults, 2003
"Young adults do not vote as often as people in older age groups, but they help make up for it by engaging in other politically-related activities, according to a new report published today in Canadian Social Trends. The report 'Willing to participate: Political engagement of young adults', available free online, used data from the General Social Survey to examine the extent of political activity among young adults aged 22 to 29. It measured their traditional political participation, that is, voting, as well as alternative activities, such as participating in demonstrations or attending public meetings."

Complete article:

Willing to participate: Political engagement of young adults
(PDF file - 157K, 6 pages)

Other free articles from past issues of Canadian Social Trends
- incl. links (in the left margin of the page) to more info on Canadian Social Trends and how to subscribe or to purchase a single copy.

December 5, 2005
Canadian Community Health Survey, Nutrition: Public Use Microdata File, 2004
The public use microdata file from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), Nutrition: General Health Component is now available. This survey collected information from over 35,000 respondents of all ages residing in private households in all 10 provinces. (...) This product is available free of charge to non-profit organizations in the health sector for research and non-commercial purposes. "(bolding added)

November 4, 2005
Study: Socio-economic status and obesity in children, 2000/01
The article "Neighbourhood socio-economic status and the prevalence of overweight Canadian children and youth" has been published in the November-December 2005 issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health. To obtain a copy of the article, contact Karen Craven (cjph@cpha.ca), Canadian Journal of Public Health.
Related Links:
Canadian Journal of Public Health
[ Canadian Public Health Association ]

May 9, 2005
National Population Health Survey: Healthy aging, 1994/95 to 2002/03
Canadians maintaining healthy behaviours are more likely to stay in good health, according to a new study. The study suggests that unhealthy habits may not have an immediate impact on the middle-aged adults but they tend to catch up to seniors as life goes on.
Related Link:
Healthy Aging: Healthy today, healthy tomorrow?
Findings from the National Population Health Survey
May 2005
By Laurent Martel, Alain Bélanger, Jean-Marie Berthelot and Yves Carrière
HTML version
PDF version (143K, 10 pages)

February 1, 2005
Health Indicators
This new issue of Health Indicators, an Internet-based data publication, features updated health region level data and maps based on the most recent vital and cancer statistics available. Updates include: life expectancy, infant mortality, low-birth weight, and mortality rates by selected causes. Even though Canada has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, today's release of Health Indicators demonstrates that life expectancy varies widely between health regions. People living in Northern and remote regions of Canada, many of whom are Aboriginal, have life expectancies more in line with developing countries than with other Canadians.
Complete report:
Health Indicators vol. 2005, no. 1
- includes profiles and data tables on : Health status - Non-medical determinants of health - Health system performance - Community and health system characteristics

Comparable health indicators: Canada, provinces and territories
December 1, 2004
"Comparable health indicators for Canada, the provinces and territories are now available. Indicators have been jointly selected by provincial and territorial health ministries, and Health Canada. Comparable health indicators address primary health care, home care, other programs and services, catastrophic drug coverage and pharmaceutical management, diagnostic and medical equipment, health human resources and healthy Canadians."

- includes links (in the left-hand margin of the page) to : Plan for reporting - Data tables - Considerations for data production - Reports on comparable health indicators - Related products

Reports on comparable health indicators - links to reports from the federal government (see below) and all provincial and territorial (except Alberta and BC, as at Dec. 2/04)

September 27, 2004
Study: Neighbourhood inequality and self-perceived health status
People living in low income report somewhat better health when they share neighbourhoods with individuals who are more affluent and better educated, according to a new study.
Neighbourhood Inequality, Relative Deprivation and Self-perceived Health Status (PDF file - 287K, 31 pages)

June 30, 2004
Health Services Access Survey, 2003
Canadians have clearly identified waiting times as their number one barrier in accessing specialized health-care services, according to the 2003 Health Services Access Survey. The survey explored access to three types of specialized care: visits to specialists, non-emergency surgeries and diagnostic tests, as well as access to first contact services.
Access to health care services in Canada, 2003
Analytical report - incl. highlights of the report, links to the content (links in the left sidebar) and links to the PDF versions of the highlights and report

June 15, 2004
Canadian Community Health Survey, 2003
"More than 1.2 million Canadians were unable to find a regular medical doctor in 2003, and an additional 2.4 million didn't have one because they hadn't looked for one, according to new results from the Canadian Community Health Survey. (...) The release is co-ordinated with today's release of Health indicators (82-221-XIE, free) a project to produce basic health indicators — such as use of health services, smoking and self-perception of health — for each health region and for peer groups of health regions."

June 15, 2004
Health indicators 2004, no. 1
"The second cycle of data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) is available today free of charge in this latest issue of Health indicators, an Internet-based publication. In 2003, the CCHS collected information from about 135,000 individuals, aged 12 and older, in 126 health regions covering all provinces and territories. Health indicators (2004, no. 1) contains maps and data tables from the CCHS 2003 for 32 indicators. These include dietary practices, frequency of heavy drinking, exposure to second-hand smoke, body mass index, Pap smear, screening mammography, life stress, high blood pressure, diabetes, leisure-time physical activity and much more. Information on all these variables is available by age, sex and various levels of geography, down to the local health region level."
Complete report:
Health Indicators June 2004 (vol. 2004, no. 1)
"Over 80 indicators at the health region, province/territory and Canada level"
- incl. health of Canadians – determinants of health – health system performance – community/health system characteristics
(use the links in the left margin of the Health Indicators page to access the report)

June 2, 2004
Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health, 2002/03
Most Canadians and Americans report being in good to excellent health, according to a new survey that compares health status and access to health care services between the two nations. However, Canadians with the lowest incomes were less likely to be in fair or poor health and less likely to have reported severe mobility limitations than their American counterparts
Complete report:
Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health: Findings and public-use microdata file
HTML version
PDF version - 221K, 33 pages

How healthy are Canadians?
Annual report 2002
August 1, 2002
Highlights
The third in the series of annual reports published by Statistics Canada on the health of Canadians highlights communities, with new information, mainly from the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).
Communities are viewed from several perspectives:
- Geographically, with analyses of the health regions that have been created by provincial health departments.
- Culturally, with articles examining two specific communities - Aboriginal Canadians living off-reserve and immigrants.
- Socio-economically, with studies of urban neighbourhoods defined by their level of income.

Health Services Access Survey: 2001
July 15, 2002
"Almost one in five Canadians who accessed health care for themselves or a family member in 2001 encountered some form of difficulty, ranging from problems getting an appointment to lengthy waiting times, according to a new survey."
Access to health care services in Canada: 2001
- incl. links to key findings, data tables and related products

The Health of Canada's Communities
The health of Canada's communities 2000/01
July 4, 2002
"Life expectancy in Canada is among the best in the world and has been for several decades. However, health status is by no means evenly distributed across Canada's communities, according to a new study."
Summary
Complete report (PDF file - K, pages)

Government Finance: Revenue, Expenditure and Surplus
June 24, 2002
"The first decline in overall government revenues in four decades, combined with a rise in overall spending, resulted in significant shifts in the distribution of deficits and surpluses in the fiscal year 2001/02, according to new consolidated estimates of government finances. (...) Health, social services and education drive expenditure increases..."
NOTE : "Consolidated government is the general term used to describe the consolidation of the federal government, the provincial and territorial governments, local governments and the Canada and Quebec pension plans."

Health Indicators
May 2003
"Over 80 indicators at the health region, province/territory and Canada level
- health of Canadians – e.g., mortality, health problems;
- determinants of health – e.g., smoking, exercise, income;
- health system performance – e.g., hospital re-admissions;
- community/health system characteristics – e.g., urban population, doctors
Highlights, data table profiles, maps and documentation are also available in this free bi-annual Internet publication.

The health divide: How the sexes differ
Compared with men, women take better care of themselves, and live longer. However, a higher percentage of women have chronic illnesses, and women use health care services more often, according to a special report

Report on health of rural, northern women paints picture of inequity
Canadian Press
June 08, 2004
"TORONTO (CP) - A new report on the health of women in rural and remote settings paints a picture of inequity, with spotty availability of the health services expected by women living in urban centres. Rural women are more likely to be living on low incomes, to experience domestic violence and have to travel long distances to obtain the care they need, said the report by the Centres of Excellence for Women's Health released Tuesday."
Source:
Canada.com

Rural, Remote and Northern Women's Health
Policy and Research Directions
Final Summary Report
Largest Canadian study on rural women's health finds urban solutions do not address rural problems
Canada's health system failing women in rural and remote regions
- final report of a two-year study on the health of rural, remote and Northern women
"...the largest qualitative study in Canada to date to address the health concerns of this important community"
- incl. links to the complete summary report, an executive summary, bibliographies and focus group reports
Complete Summary Report (7.6 MB PDF)*
Executive Summary (3.2 MB PDF)*
Source:
Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE)
Centres of Excellence for Women's Health (Health Canada)
*NOTE: these files are enormous to download, even with a broadband connection. Here's a suggestion for *all* organizations offering their reports online: it's OK to offer a gussied-up version with all the pretty graphics, but it would be appreciated if you would also offer a link to a "stripped-down" version of your report for visitors with older machines. slower connections or accessibility issues.

Google Web Search Results: "rural women, health, Canada, study"
Google News Search Results: "rural women, health, Canada, study"
- direct links to search results pages, always current!
Source:
Google.ca

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NetworkNews - Summer 2004 Issue
"The Summer edition of our quarterly newsletter, NetworkNews, looks at the legal routes to achieving accountability in health care, along with recent cases and their consequences, part of the Health Network's Health Care Accountability Papers."
Complete Newsletter (PDF file - 472K, 12 pages)
[Click "Download" to open the PDF file]

Source:
Canadian Policy Research Networks

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Government Takes Action to Control Spending (includes a detailed backgrounder)
December 16, 2003
- freeze on major capital projects
- freeze on reclassifications
- freeze on the size of the public service
- review of all Government of Canada spending by the Cabinet's Expenditure Review Committee.
Source:
Department of Finance Canada
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Related Links from the Treasury Board website:

Additional Information on the Process of the Expenditure Review Committee
Frequently Asked Questions

October 31, 2003
Factors related to adolescents' self-perceived health, 2000/01
[- first of several on the health of Canadian children that will be released this fall in the How Healthy are Canadians? series of annual supplements to Health reports]
While the majority of Canadian adolescents considered themselves to be in "very good" or "excellent" health in 2000/01, nearly one in three 12- to 17-year-olds rated their health as no better than "good." Adolescents who considered their own health to be poor, fair or good were more likely to smoke, drink or be obese.
Full article in PDF (208K, 10 pages)
Health Reports supplement : How healthy are Canadians? (Annual report 2003)
- incl. a link to the intro for the 2003 report and a list of forthcoming reports in this series
Source:
The Daily - Statistics Canada

A Lost Decade: Income Equality and the Health of Canadians
December 2, 2002
Presentation by Katherine Scott, Senior Policy and Research Associate, at the Social Determinants of Health Conference in Toronto
Source : Canadian Council on Social Development

The Government of Canada Announces an Early Childhood Development Initiative for Aboriginal Children
News Release
October 31, 2002
"...a funding allocation of $320 million over the next five years for a strategy to improve and expand Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs and services for First Nations and other Aboriginal children."
Source : Health Canada

The Health of Canadians – The Federal Role
Volume Six: Recommendations for Reform
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Chair: The Honourable Michael J.L. Kirby
Deputy Chair: The Honourable Marjory LeBreton
October 2002
Senate Committee recommends $5B national health care premium new money to reform and expand health care system
News Release
October 25, 2002
"Canadians need to contribute an additional $5 billion per year to health care in order to make the publicly funded system financially sustainable and avert the emergence of a parallel private health care system. The decision facing Canadians is whether they are prepared to make that investment in order to overhaul Medicare."

Speaking Notes for Senators (on the release of Volume Six)

Report - Table of Contents and Part One, plus links to the rest of the report
(HTML - 186K, 29 pages)
Complete report - PDF file - 1169K, 392 pages

Highlights (HTML - 240K, 43 pages)
Highlights (PDF version - 158K, 54 pages)

Source:
Recent Senate Reports
(37th Parliament, 2nd Session)
- incl. links to volumes one to five in this series (from 37th Parliament, 1st Session)
Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology

Work–Life Conflict in Canada in the New Millennium
A Status Report - Final Report
Linda Duxbury, Chris Higgins
October 2003
"As we enter the new millennium, Canadian governments, employers, employees and families face a common challenge—how to make it easier for Canadians to balance their work roles and their desire to have a meaningful life outside of work. The research initiative summarized in this report was undertaken to address this issue."
PDF version (PDF file - 1.7MB, 154 pages)

For links to more work-life balance content, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Work-Life Balance page.

Poverty, Income Inequality, and Health in Canada (PDF file - 572K, 32 pages)
Dr. Dennis Raphael
School of Health Policy and Management
York University
The CSJ Foundation for Research and Education
Toronto
June 2002
Source : Centre for Social Justice

Evaluation of the Maintenance and Preventive Function of Home Care
Hollander Analytical Services
Prepared for Health Canada
Cutting house cleaning help to elderly leads to higher health costs down the line
Press Release (May 26, 2001)
Full-text report (PDF file - 275K, 59 pages)
Source : Hollander Analytical Services

Also on the Hollander website:
National Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Home Care
"The National Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Home Care is a major program of research which will provide critical new information to policy makers about the cost-effectiveness of home care in Canada. It has a budget of $1.5 million and is comprised of 15 interrelated substudies, six on the cost-effectiveness of home care compared to care in long term care facilities and nine on the cost-effectiveness of home care as an alternative to care in acute care hospitals."
March 2002

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
"CIHR is Canada's major federal funding agency for health research. Its objective is to excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system."
CIHR's 13 institutes: Aboriginal Peoples' Health - Aging - Cancer Research - Circulatory and Respiratory Health - Gender and Health - Genetics - Health Services and Policy Research - Human Development, Child and Youth Health - Infection and Immunity - Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis - Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction - Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes - Population and Public Health

Population Health Approach
Health Canada
April 2000
"We need to address the entire range of factors that determine health [and] the complex  interactions among these factors"
Population health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among population groups.
Resources and Related Sites
Links to 14 key documents on population health, including:
A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians (PDF file, 1.4MB) - "The 1974 report on health promotion that led to an evolution in thinking about health."

Office of Health and the Information Highway
The Office of Health and the Information Highway (OHIH) was created in recognition of the growing importance of information and communications technologies in virtually all aspects of the health sector, to assist the Minister of Health and Health Canada address new and evolving issues and develop a longer term strategy regarding Canada's Health Infostructure.

The National Children’s Agenda: Health Canada's contribution
Budget 2000 Information
February 28, 2000
Good overview of Health Canada initiatives for children

Seniors Policies and Programs Database (SPPD)
- Launched in January 2000 by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors as a unique and lasting legacy of the International Year of Older Persons.
Browse all Records for thousands of program descriptions,
Search the database by program or by jurisdiction, or
View Program Linkages, i.e., see how these programs affect one another (Hello, you quantitative analysts out there...)

Canadian Institute for Health Information
"The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, national, not-for-profit organization working to improve the health of Canadians and the health care system by providing quality, reliable and timely health information. CIHI's mandate was established jointly by federal and provincial/territorial ministers of health to coordinate the development and maintenance of a comprehensive and integrated approach to health information for Canada, and to provide and coordinate the provision of accurate and timely data and information required for establishing sound health policy, effectively managing the Canadian health system, and generating public awareness about factors affecting good health."

See the Sitemap of this enormous site for an overview of its content incl. links to research & reports, the CIHI Data Collection, standards, statistics and client services.

Health Care in Canada (annual report) "This report provides up-to-date information on what we know and don't know about the performance of Canada's health care system. Topics covered in the report include the outcomes of care, health expenditures and Canada's health care professionals. Included with this report is a Health Indicators insert, providing new data on a range of health and health system-related indicators at both regional and provincial/territorial levels." -------------------------------------------- Health Care in Canada 2006 June 2006 -download the report in sections or as one single file (PDF file - 784K, 113 pages) Health Care in Canada 2006 - Fact Sheet (PDF file - 103K, 1 page) Heart attack survival rates improve—stroke death rates remain the same In-hospital mortality rates within 30 days of admission with a new heart attack or stroke differ significantly among regions News Release June 7, 2006—Canadians admitted to hospital with a new heart attack are less likely to die in hospital within 30 days than in the past, according to a new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). (...) Health Care in Canada 2006, [is] CIHI’s seventh annual publication on the state of the health system. For the first time, this year’s report provides trends for two key health indicators: short-term mortality rates following admission with a new heart attack and short-term mortality rates following admission with a new stroke. It also examines how these death rates vary across the country and explores factors that may be associated with better or worse odds of survival, including age, sex and the types of care that patients receive. - incl.Regional differences | Types of care influence survival rates | Different outcomes for different patients | Other highlights this year | Health Care in Canada 2006 | About CIHI | Figures | Report | Contact --------------------------------------------------------------- Health Care in Canada, 2005 June 2005 "Part A: A Look Inside Canada's Health System summarizes recent developments in health and health care. It includes an overview of health spending and updated information on how Canadians view the health system and the services that they have received. * Part B: A Focus on Volumes and Outcomes includes information on the distribution of select procedures across Canada and in-depth analyses of the relationship between hospital volumes and patient outcomes.." Table of Contents --- List of Selected Figures - Incl. links to downloads by section and the entire report in a single file - includes links to the complete report and to individual chapters Mortality Rate Lower in Higher-Volume Hospitals News Release June 8, 2005 "A new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that Canadians have a better chance of surviving some types of highly specialized surgeries in hospitals where greater numbers of these procedures are performed." -------------------------------------------- Links to Reports for Current and Previous Years - back to 2000 -------------------------------------------- Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information

Improving the Health of Canadians 2007-2008: Mental Health and Homelessness
The Improving the Health of Canadians: Mental Health and Homelessness report provides an overview of the latest research, surveys and policy initiatives related to mental health and homelessness and, for the first time, presents data on hospital use by homeless Canadians.
- includes links to the complete report and the media release (both of which are reproduced below) as well as links to download individual report sections, related documents and contact info if you wish to order a paper copy of the report

Complete Report:

Improving the Health of Canadians 2007-2008:
Mental Health and Homelessness (PDF file - 458K, 70 pages)
August 2007

Media Release:

Mental disorders account for more than half of hospital stays among the homeless in Canada:
New CIHI report offers overview of links between mental health, mental illness and homelessness
August 30, 2007—Mental disorders accounted for 52% of acute care hospitalizations among the homeless in 2005–2006 (outside Quebec), according to a new report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). In addition, the report shows that 35% of visits to selected emergency departments (EDs)—mostly in Ontario—by homeless people were related to mental and behavioural disorders, a proportion that is higher than that for other patients (3%).

Source:
Canadian Population Health Initiative
[ Canadian Institute for Health Information - CIHI ]

Health Indicators, 2007
Date published: May 30, 2007
Health Indicators 2007 is a compilation of selected indicators measuring health status, non-medical determinants of health, health-system performance and community and health-system characteristics. This issue also includes an analytical section that highlights the impact of hip fractures.

- includes links to the complete report and the media release as well as links to download individual report sections, related documents and contact info if you wish to order a paper copy of the report

Complete Report:

Health Indicators, 2007 (PDF file - 1.3MB, 91 pages)

Hospital Report 2007: Acute Care
Date published: August 24, 2007
Hospital Report 2007: Acute Care is a system-wide and hospital-specific report that uses a balanced scorecard approach to provide information on the performance of hospitals that provide acute care in Ontario. The objectives of this series of reports are to facilitate local quality-improvement programs, to encourage openness and transparency in reporting and to support hospitals' accountability to the communities they serve.

- includes links to the complete report and the media release as well as links to download individual report sections, related documents and contact info if you wish to order a paper copy of the report

Complete Report:

Hospital Report 2007: Acute Care (PDF file - 884K, 66 pages)

Health Care Spending to Reach $130 Billion This Year; per Capita Spending to Hit $4,000
Spending up, but rate of increase lowest in last seven years, reports CIHI
News Release
December 8, 2004
"Canada’s health care spending is expected to reach $130.3 billion in 2004, a 5.9% increase over last year, and the lowest annual growth rate since 1997. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) released these figures today in its annual report on Canada’s health expenditure. In 2002, health care spending was $114 billion and is estimated to have reached $123 billion in 2003, for annual increases of 7.3% and 7.9%, respectively."

National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975-2004
"CIHI's eighth annual health expenditure trends publication and provides detailed, updated information on health expenditure in Canada."
- incl. links to the full report and to individual sections .
NOTE: Registration is required to download the report, but you don't need to give your e-mail address if you value your privacy

Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Data Tables
List of Figures

Related link:

Canada's health tab: $130B
Rise in private care pushes cost to $4,000 per person
National Post
Source:
Canada.com

"Provincial/Territorial Government Health Spending Expected to Reach $84 Billion in 2004–2005,
Reports Canadian Institute for Health information: Projected growth lowest in seven years"
News Release
November 3, 2004
"A new report on provincial and territorial government health spending released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows continued growth in health care spending from provincial and territorial governments. Today’s report, Preliminary Provincial/Territorial Government Health Expenditure, 1974–1975 to 2004–2005, reveals provincial and territorial governments are expected to spend $83.9 billion in 2004–2005, an increase of 5.1% over the previous year, the lowest growth recorded since 1997–1998. Provincial and territorial government health spending was projected to reach $74.0 billion in 2002–2003 and $79.8 billion in 2003–2004, reflecting annual growth rates of 7.0% and 7.9% respectively. After removing the effects of inflation, health care expenditures in constant 1997 dollars are projected to reach $72.6 billion in 2004–2005, reflecting a real growth rate of 2.9%."
- incl. links to info about : Proportion of Provincial GDP | Per Capita Spending | Proportion of Governments’ Programs | Category of Service | About NHEX | About CIHI | Charts and Tables | Report | Contact

Complete report
(Registration required, but you don't need to give your e-mail address if you value your privacy)
Executive Summary
Table of Contents (no links, just the table of contents)

Source:
Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)

Also from CIHI:

Inpatient Hospitalizations Continue to Decline, Same-Day Surgery Visits on the Rise,
Reports Canadian Institute for Health Information
News Release
October 29, 2004
"New data available today from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) show that inpatient hospitalizations declined by 14.4% between 1995–1996 and 2002–2003, and by 1.7% between 2001–2002 and 2002–2003. Overall, there were 2,770,128 inpatient hospitalizations in Canada in 2002–2003, down from 3,235,313 in 1995–1996. The age-adjusted inpatient hospitalization rate (per 100,000 population) reflects this trend, declining by 22.3% since 1995–1996 and by 3.3% between 2001–2002 and 2002–2003. While most provinces and territories reported a decrease in inpatient hospitalizations between 2001–2002 and 2002–2003, increases were observed in Alberta (2.0%) and the Yukon Territory (6.5%). The largest decreases in inpatient hospitalizations between 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 were reported by the Northwest Territories (8.0%) and New Brunswick (4.9%)."
- incl. in this release: Same-Day Surgery | Length of Stay | Hospitalizations | About CIHI | Charts/Tables | Contact

Charting the Course, Progress Report: Two Years Later: How Are We Doing?
Posted May 2004
Joint publication of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Institute for Health Information
"This report documents the progress made by CPHI and IPPH in responding to key population and public health priorities identified in a cross-country consultation conducted in 2001. The priorities are captured in Charting the Course: A Pan-Canadian Consultation on Population and Public Health Priorities, released in 2002."
Also available on the site:
Charting the Course, Progress Report: Two Years Later: How Are We Doing?(2004) - PDF file - 229K, 31 pages
Charting the Course: A Pan-Canadian Consultation on Population and Public Health Priorities (2002) PDF file - 874K, 52 pages
NOTE: Click on the Charting the Course link (above) to access either of these two reports. In each case, you'll be asked on the following page to indicate what type of organization you're with and your location (province/territory) "to help us prepare more useful and informative reports." You have the option of answering the two questions using the drop-down menus provided, or ignoring them. Then click on "Submit"to get to the page with the link to the PDF file.

Related Links:
Canadian Institute for Health Information
Canadian Institutes of Health Research

From the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI) :
[ Canadian Institute for Health Information - CIHI ]

New Report Examines Inequalities in Health
Canadians must focus on opportunities to improve health
News Release
"February 25, 2004 - A new report from the Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI) takes stock of enduring inequalities in health in Canada, including among children, Aboriginal peoples and low-income Canadians. Improving the Health of Canadians focuses on why some Canadians are healthy and others are not; and underscores some of the choices communities face in creating more equal opportunities for good health.

Summary Report (PDF file - 507 KB, 43 pages)
Backgrounders:
* Income
* Early Childhood Development
* Aboriginal Peoples' Health
* Obesity

Complete report:

Improving the Health of Canadians 2004
PDF version - 3.4MB, 173 pages
NOTE: clicking the PDF link above takes you to a (free) registration page where you are asked for some personal info (name, e-mail address, etc.). The Canadian Population Health Initiative is a Canadian government organization, so you don't have to worry about your personal info being used inappropriately. However, if you have a personal issue with divulging your personal info online, just click "Submit" at the bottom without completing it and you'll have access to the file.

Feedback - for your comments and suggestions re. Improving the Health of Canadians 2004

Women Live Longer Than Men – but Life-Expectancy Figures Mask Major Health Problems
New Report Provides First Comprehensive Look at Health of Canadian Women; Finds Disturbing Risks Among Young Women
News Release
September 30, 2003
Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI)
"Canadian women live longer than men, but that doesn’t mean they’re healthier. A new report shows that both younger and older women are actually at higher risk than men for many serious health problems."
- In this release: General Findings | Risks for Younger Women | Risks for Older Women | Risks for Single Mothers and Rural Women | About the Report | About CPHI | Contact
Table of Contents - just the TOC, no links to actual content
Complete report:
Women's Health Surveillance Report :
A Multi-Dimensional Look at the Health of Canadian Women (PDF file - 917K, 102 pages)

Poverty and Health - CPHI Collected Papers
The Impact of Poverty on Health by Shelley Phipps, June 2003 (PDF file -297K, 39 pages)
Policy Approaches to Address the Impact of Poverty on Health by David P. Ross, June 2003 (293K, 33 pages)
Poverty and Health: Links to Action - proceedings of the CPHI National Roundtable on Poverty and Health, March 26, 2002 (PDF file - 232K, 36 pages)

Other CPHI reports:
- Children and Youth Health-CPHI Atlantic Regional Workshop
- Determinants of Healthy Communities-CPHI Prairie Regional Workshop
- Place and Health-CPHI Research Workshop Report
- "Initial Directions" Proceedings of CPHI's First Roundtable on Aboriginal Peoples' Health
- Women's Health Surveillance Report
Coming this fall:
- Aboriginal Peoples' Health-CPHI Roundtable Series Reports 2 & 3
- Obesity in Canada-CPHI Roundtable Report

Some samples of recent CIHI site content:

Health Care in Canada 2003
- includes new and updated information on 27 key measures of health and health care for 74 health regions in Canada, representing more than 95% of the country's population
- you'll find all related content at the above link, including the media release, background