TORONTO – Nine Ontario hospitals have been recognized as " high performing" in an emergency department care report released today by Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman and Ontario Hospital Association President and CEO Hilary Short.

Hospital Report 2005: Emergency Department Care says that Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Ottawa), Deep River and District Hospital, Grey Bruce Health Services (Owen Sound), Groves Memorial Community Hospital (Fergus), Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (Stratford), Perth and Smith Falls District Hospital, Quinte Health Care (Belleville), Ross Memorial Hospital (Lindsay) and West Lincoln Memorial Hospital (Grimsby) have met criteria for high performance in two or more areas of the report. The report is based on 2003/04 data from hospitals.

" This report provides important and useful information on how well hospital emergency departments are performing," Smitherman said. " For the first time, we are highlighting hospitals with above-average performance in emergency department care to encourage more sharing of best practices and useful ideas among hospitals. The more hospitals can learn from one another, the more patient care can be improved."

Results from the report show an overall improvement in emergency care since the last emergency department report in 2003 because hospitals have increased the use of standardized guidelines when treating a number of conditions. Clinical guidelines are being used more often in the treatment of chest pains and pneumonia, and results show an improvement in the care of patients with pneumonia and asthma.

Since 1998, Ontarians have had access to independently researched reports dealing with the performance of hospitals across the province. This is the second report with hospital-specific data on emergency department services, and the first emergency department report to identify high performing hospitals.

The report on emergency department care looks at five areas: clinical utilization and outcomes (patient care), patient satisfaction, system integration and change (dealing with change), financial performance and condition, and women's health.

" Our hospitals recognize that this is an important report for all Ontarians," said Hilary Short. " The voluntary efforts by hospitals to provide information as part of this report demonstrates their dedication to patients, a willingness to enhance emergency department services across the province, and a commitment to continued accountability to Ontario's taxpayers."

Independently prepared by the Hospital Report Research Collaborative (based at the University of Toronto), Ontario's Hospital Reports are considered one of the most advanced approaches to reporting on hospital performance in North America.

" This Report provides a compelling picture of the way that hospitals and emergency departments have worked to make improvements despite challenges such as SARS," said Adalsteinn Brown, principal researcher, Hospital Report Research Collaborative, University of Toronto. " It provides the foundation on which emergency departments can strengthen quality improvement efforts."

The emergency department care report is the second in a series of four hospital reports being released this year. The rehabilitation report was released in mid-July with reports on acute care and complex continuing care coming later this year.

For further information :

Members of the general public : (416) 327-4327, or (800) 268-1154

Backgrounder Hospital Report 2005: Emergency Department Care 2 pages | 37k | PDF format

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