New process makes Ontario the first province to collect standardized, near-real-time Alternate Level of Care data
TORONTO, ON (May 16, 2011) – Starting this month, Ontario will have an up-to-date picture of how many patients are waiting for an appropriate level of care and how long they wait. The data is part of the launch of Cancer Care Ontario’s (CCO) Access to Care (ATC) Alternate Level of Care (ALC) program that collects near-real-time information on patients’ wait times for appropriate care. Throughout Ontario, 94 acute-care and 20 post-acute care facilities, representing more than 95 per cent of the province’s hospital beds, are set to participate in the program.
“The launch of this program has the ability to significantly improve patient care in Ontario,” says Lynn Guerriero, Director, Access to Care, Cancer Care Ontario. “Access to Care’s ALC program positions Ontario as a leader in this area, becoming the first province to collect standardized, near-real-time ALC data. Understanding the wait times patients face will enable us to implement strategies that can make improvements across our health-care system.”
The near-real-time information collected will be used to improve patient flow, reduce emergency room wait times, and inform decisions on the allocation of resources for hospitals and communities. Prior to the Wait Time Information System (WTIS) ALC implementation, only retrospective data collection was available on ALC patients who had been discharged from hospitals. Now, with access to near-real-time data, information is being collected on both discharged ALC patients and on those currently waiting.
Individuals occupying hospital beds while waiting for another form of care are officially designated by clinicians as ALC patients. “This program recognizes that ALC is a complex systems issue,” says Ms. Guerriero. “Patients who are waiting in hospital beds for an appropriate placement destination have a significant impact on overall patient flow.”
Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) has a proven track record in driving change and quality improvement in Ontario’s cancer system. Access to Care is housed at CCO and is the service delivery agency for the ministry’s Wait Times Strategy and ER/Alternate Level of Care Information Strategy.
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Contact:
Ron MacInnes, Manager, Public Affairs, Cancer Care Ontario
P: 416-971-9800 x 3788 E: ron.macinnes@cancercare.on.ca