Access and Wait Times
Many Canadians have good access to health care services and experience manageable wait times. But some face challenges when it comes to
- Emergency room wait times
- Wait times for priority procedures
- Location of services
- Finding appropriate health service providers
Access to health care services is a factor that contributes to differences in health. Improving access to care and reducing wait times are prominent health policy issues in Canada and many other countries.
CIHI has worked with governments to improve information about access to care and wait times. We are committed to addressing information gaps in this area. As well as looking at health services, CIHI examines access to care from a population health perspective.
Featured content
Wait times for Priority Procedures in Canada, 2013
CIHI's eigth annual report on wait times, with a graphic showing wait time data across Canada.
Hani’s Knee Replacement Journey
See the timeline for one patient’s experience across the health care continuum.
Key reports and analyses
Health Care in Canada, 2012: A Focus on Wait Times
Discover what is known about wait times in Canada in different settings and see where gaps exist. (Nov. 2012)
Multimedia
Helping Heal Hips Faster (Winnipeg, Manitoba) (video)
Wait Time Information in Priority Areas: Definitions and Evolution 2012 (PPTX, 3.8 MB)
Surgical Volume Trends, 2012—Within and Beyond Wait Time Priority Areas (PPTX, 3.8 MB)
Emerging Wait Times Indicators, 2012 (PPTX, 3.8 MB)
Standards
The provinces and CIHI work to refine wait time indicators for the priority areas agreed to by the first ministers in 2004. These include wait times related to joint replacement, sight restoration, cancer, heart and diagnostic imaging.
Read the indicators overview (Apr. 2013) (PPTX, 4 MB).
Metadata
Metadata is information about data. It helps users understand and interpret the meaning behind the data.
Wait times metadata
Applications
- Wait times
An interactive report you can use to monitor progress as provinces work to reduce wait times and meet evidence-based benchmarks for priority procedures in Canada.
Wait times for priority procedures in Canada >>
FAQ
- Did You Know? Waits for knee replacements longer than for other priority procedures.
Patients in all 10 provinces wait longer for knee replacements than for any other priority procedure. However, for the three most populous provinces (Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia), at least three-quarters of patients received knee replacements within the recommended wait time of 26 weeks. On the other end, fewer than half of patients had their knee replaced within the benchmark in two provinces.
View all Questions >>
