Measuring access to priority health services
Home care, community care, mental health services and substance use services in Canada
As the population ages, more Canadians need home care or services in the community to help them manage their health conditions and live safely at home. As well, Canadians of all ages need timely access to mental health and substance use services, which is an identified area of concern.
Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) governments recognized these challenges as shared priorities to improve Canadians’ access to home and community care, and to mental health and substance use services.
A common set of 12 pan-Canadian indicators was developed to measure progress on improving access to these areas of health care.
For more information, see How we got here.
View indicator results
Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Services indicators
- Early Intervention for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Children and Youth
- Navigation of Mental Health and Substance Use Services
- Wait Times for Community Mental Health Counselling
- Self-Harm, Including Suicide
- Hospital Stays for Harm Caused by Substance Use
- Frequent Emergency Room Visits for Help With Mental Health and Substance Use
Access to Home and Community Care indicators
Explore past results
Past stories
- Find out more about wait times for community mental health counselling
- Find out more about hospital stays and ED visits for substance use harms
- Find out about hospital stays for and deaths from intentional self-harm
- Explore the topic of distress among unpaid caregivers across Canada
- Take a closer look at new long-term care residents who potentially could have been cared for at home
How we got here
In 2017, FPT governmentsFootnotei endorsed A Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities,Reference1 accompanied by an $11 billion federal investment over 10 years to lead to improvements in these areas.
CIHI worked with FPT governments, sector stakeholders, measurement experts and the public to develop and report on these indicators. 2019 marked the first year of indicator reporting, and in 2022, CIHI released the full set of 12 indicators.
Indicator results are updated annually, and indicators are refined as more and better data becomes available. Over time, these indicators will tell a clearer story about access to care across the country and will help identify where there are gaps in services. Understanding where gaps exist will help improve care at the front lines and better meet the needs of Canadian patients and their families.
Overview and update
Want to know more about the 2017 Shared Health Priorities?
Related resources
- Early Intervention for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Children and Youth Survey (PDF)
- Navigation of Mental Health and Substance Use Services Survey (PDF)
- Shared Health Priorities Survey-Based Data Collection — Frequently Asked Questions (learn about survey-based data collection for 2 new mental health and substance use–related Shared Health Priorities indicators)
- How is an indicator developed at CIHI?
- Indicator library (learn about the definitions and methodologies for the indicators)
- Shared Health Priorities
- Health system performance
- Working with patients and families
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like more information, email
Footnotes
i.
The federal government agreed to an asymmetrical arrangement with Quebec, distinct from the Common Statement of Principles.
References
1.
Government of Canada. A Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities (PDF). 2017.
How to cite:
Canadian Institute for Health Information. Measuring access to priority health services. Accessed April 24, 2025.
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