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Now Available Online

Access to wait time information is now publicly available in one place thanks to the collaborative efforts of Health Quality Ontario, Cancer Care Ontario, CorHealth Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

For the first time in Ontario’s history, the time between a specialist getting a referral from a patient's family doctor and the patient's first appointment with the specialist, is now publicly available.

Thanks to the joint efforts of all of the partners, wait times information is reported at both the provincial level and facility/hospital level, where applicable, and will be updated monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually depending on the surgery type.

Visitors can access this data on the Health Quality Ontario site or via Ontario.ca/health.

Ontario Surgical Quality Improvement Network Summer Newsletter

Read the latest updates from the Ontario Surgical Quality Improvement Network as we work toward common goals of improved surgical quality and better outcomes for patients requiring surgery in Ontario. In this issue St. Michael's Hospital, McMaster Children's Hospital and several other sites are profiled. Learn about their surgical quality improvement goals and efforts.

Scaling up Quality Improvement Efforts in Mental Health and Addictions

Spreading quality improvement initiatives beyond the local clinical settings where they are initially developed is an ongoing challenge – and the mental health and addictions sector is not immune.

Dr. Meldon Kahan, from Women’s College Hospital and Michael Dunn from the Excellence Through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP) share their insights and advice on how to scale up quality improvement efforts in this sector on Quorum - an online forum for the quality improvement community to share, learn and innovate together.

Compassionate Care: Early Pregnancy Loss in the Emergency Department

It is estimated that one in five individuals experience an early pregnancy loss. The physical and emotional care that healthcare providers can offer to individuals experiencing a pregnancy loss has an important impact on their long-term emotional well-being.

In consultation with Health Quality Ontario and the Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program, the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health developed a report with recommendations for providers and staff in offering compassionate care to patients presenting with an early pregnancy loss in the emergency department.

Psychotherapy Health Technology Assessment: Open for Public Comment

We're looking for your feedback on the draft Health Technology Assessment of Psychotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Before being finalized, each health technology assessment is posted for feedback for 21 days. All feedback received within that 21-day consultation period is considered for inclusion in our final reports and recommendations.

Share your feedback by Tuesday, September 5, 2017.

Involving Patients to Improve Primary Care: Guest Blog by Dr. Tara Kiran

Ten years ago, I gave birth in hospital to my first child – a healthy, beautiful baby girl.

I still remember looking into her eyes for the first time and I still remember what it was like to be a patient. I remember wanting to provide feedback to someone about my experiences – both the good (great breastfeeding support) and the bad (being woken before dawn for a blood pressure check). But there was never any opportunity...

Recruiting for Diversity for Patient and Family Advisory Councils

Read this guide to discover approaches for creating a diverse and well-represented patient and family advisory council. The templates and tools inside have recently been updated to reflect more inclusive language to support recruiting members for patient and family councils.

Health Quality Transformation 2017 Keynote:
Kim Katrin Milan 

Kim Katrin Milan, a passionate speaker, researcher and educator will share her personal perspective, as a queer womyn, moving through the health system. Kim joins Dr. Donald Berwick to speak at our annual conference, Health Quality Transformation 2017 at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, on Tuesday, October 24, 2017.

Registration opens on September 12, 2017. Health Quality Transformation 2017 is a Patients Included event, recognizing the many patients, caregivers and partners who’ve helped design the day’s program.