Indicators
A health indicator is a single measure, usually expressed in quantitative terms, that captures a key dimension of health. Dimensions of health can include such things as how many people suffer from chronic disease or have had a heart attack.
Health indicators also capture various determinants of health, such as income, and they capture key dimensions of the health care system, such as how often patients return to hospital for more care after they have been treated.
Featured content
Canadian Hospital Reporting Project (CHRP)
This online resource includes 21 clinical indicators and 6 financial indicators that hospitals can use to compare their performance and learn from leading practices.
Applications
- Health Indicators Interactive Tool
Health indicators are standardized measures that can be used to compare health status and health system performance and characteristics among different jurisdictions in Canada.
These indicators support regional health authorities as they monitor the health of their populations and the functioning of their local health systems with quality comparative information.
CIHI provides a range of free, aggregate-level data on health indicators, presented in one of two ways:
- Pre-formatted tables that provide a snapshot of the data
- Interactive data that provides a dynamic presentation of health statistics—data can be manipulated, printed and exported
Health Indicators Interactive Tool >> - eReporting
Each year, CIHI and registered organizations collect and analyze data related to the health of Canadians and the Canadian heath care system.
To facilitate improved access to timely data, CIHI offers data-submitting organizations an eReporting tool. Registered organizations can use it to submit and access their data electronically through a secure website.
Applications available through Client Services eReporting:
- National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS)
- National Rehabilitation Reporting System (NRS)
- Continuing Care Reporting System (CCRS)
- Home Care Reporting System (HCRS)
- Canadian MIS Database (CMDB)
- Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio (HSMR)
- Canadian Hospital Reporting Project (CHRP) eTool
eReporting >>
FAQ
- How does CHRP measure hospital performance
An indicator is a single measure that represents a key dimension of health status, the health care system or related factors. Indicators can be used to identify potential opportunities for quality improvement and provide a basis for comparison between hospitals or between provincial, regional and national averages.
- Where does CHRP data come from?
Several CIHI data sources have been used to produce clinical and financial indicators. Clinical data is drawn from administrative health care databases, such as the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), the Alberta Ambulatory Care Reporting System (AACRS) and the Hospital Morbidity Database (HMDB), as well as case mix grouping data. Financial data is drawn from the Canadian MIS Database (CMDB) and the DAD.
- Why is CIHI publicly releasing information?
Most hospitals within the participating provinces will be included in CHRP, pending data availability and appropriate indicator volume thresholds.panels, a steering committee, core contacts in each province/territory and key stakeholders in health performance measurement.
- Are all hospitals in each province participating in CHRP?
The majority of acute care hospitals within each province and territory in Canada are participating in CHRP. Currently, this number is approximately 620 hospitals (95% of facilities providing acute care services in Canada).
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