Measuring Access to Priority Health Services

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Measuring access to priority health services.

Home care, community care, mental health services and substance use services in Canada

November 30, 2023 — Updated information is now available about access to home and community care and to mental health and substance use services.

The 12 pan-Canadian Shared Health PrioritiesFootnote

i indicators were chosen by the federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) health ministriesFootnote

ii in consultation with Canadians, to measure progress in improving access to these areas of health care.

Updated data for the 12 Shared Health Priorities indicators can be found in CIHI’s Your Health System web tool. 

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.

Note: The indicator results include data from the COVID-19 pandemic period and should be interpreted in the context of the pandemic.

Updated indicators

Indicators of access to mental health and substance use services

• 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

Indicators of access to home and community care

• Death at Home or in Community
• Home Care Services Helped the Recipient Stay at Home
• Wait Times for Home Care Services
• Caregiver Distress
• New Long-Term Care Residents Who Potentially Could Have Been Cared for at Home
• Hospital Stay Extended Until Home Care Services or Supports Ready

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)
• Indicator library (learn about the definitions and methodologies for the indicators)
• Shared Health Priorities
• Health system performance
• Working with patients and families
• Impact of COVID-19 on Canada’s health care systems