Purpose of the Site

This website presents comprehensive information about the quality of care and services provided to long-stay home care clients. The main purpose of making this information public is to advance the quality of care and services provided to home care clients.

Where the Data Come From

Most of the data comes from a data collection tool, the RAI-HC (Resident Assessment Instrument –Home Care). This standardized tool is now used in every CCAC in Ontario. While the instrument enables standard measures and therefore comparability across the province, it is only currently used with long-stay clients. An adult long-stay client is defined as an adult who requires more than 60 uninterrupted days of service through a CCAC, or a client who requires admission to a LTC home.

Forty six percent of people who receive home care services are long-stay clients of all ages with chronic conditions or complex medical needs who require care over a long period of time; fifty four percent are short-stay clients, who need services for a short time while they recover from surgery or an injury. Under the system, every long-stay client undergoes a detailed assessment of their health, at least once every six months by a home care staff member specially-trained to collect this information. Initial assessments are not included in the measures presented here. We also use provincial databases on access, emergency department visits and drug use.

A home care client survey is currently being piloted in some regions in Ontario and will eventually be used across the province.  This telephone survey will ask clients if they are generally satisfied with their care, as well as questions on whether communication was clear, whether staff were courteous and respectful, and how easy it was to get the necessary services arranged.   Results for each CCAC will be posted when they are available. 

Indicators Used for Public Reporting

Indicators used for public reporting for home care were selected following a rigorous and evidence-based process which included:

• an environmental scan of home care indicators used in Ontario and other jurisdictions and public reporting mechanisms;
• consultations with academic experts.
  

These indicators were selected because they can be accurately measured and influenced by home care services.

Indicators are organized into the OHQC’s nine attributes: accessible, effective, safe, patient (client)-centred, equitable, efficient, appropriately resourced, integrated, population health. Currently, we report on accessible, effective, safe, and population health. We will build on this as the site develops. For more information about the OHQC attributes click here: http://www.ohqc.ca/en/framework.php.
 

The Site at a Glance

Over the next two years, more indicators of quality will be added to the website. By the end of 2011, you will see:

• Results for more types of home care clients
• More indicators of quality  
• More frequent updates (every three months) 
• Benchmarks (identifying which home care providers in the world have the best results)
  
• Trends over time (to see if quality is improving) 
• Comparisons with other provinces and countries
  

Acknowledgements

The OHQC thanks the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) for providing the data and ongoing support for this public reporting site. In addition, we would like to acknowledge the following organizations and individuals for their expertise and input in designing and testing this website:

• Dawn Guthrie, PhD,  Wilfrid Laurier University
• John Hirdes, PhD, University of Waterloo
• Jeff Poss, PhD, University of Waterloo
• The Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres  (OACCAC)
• Toronto CCAC
• Central East CCAC
• Mississauga Halton CCAC
  

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