Performance Reporting

The provincial government has made a strong commitment to transparent performance reporting in the health sector. The ministry is working with health authorities and agencies, such as the Canadian Institute for Health Information, to ensure required data are available and are of acceptable quality to fulfill this commitment.

A challenge to timely reporting is the unavailability of data. Reporting on performance measures at the provincial level is a complex process. For example, measures that report on hospital performance have a lag between the moment an event occurs and the time when data generated from that event is collected, checked and assembled in a usable format. Generally, the movement of hospital data through the system takes three months; however, because the measures in this report are at a provincial level, the ministry must wait for all hospitals to submit data. Because some data can take up to six months to report, it is impossible to have complete data for all measures by the Annual Service Plan Report publication date.

In 2003/04, the ministry and health authorities began a review of all performance measures in the ministry's annual service plan and the health authorities' performance agreements to test and improve them, using nine criteria such as reliability, relevance and comparability. This review is expected to result in the refinement of several measures and the creation of new measures to assist with decision-making and evaluating progress towards achieving the ministry's strategic objectives. Improved measures will be added to future service plans and performance agreements when ready.

As mentioned, some measures in this report do not have complete data for the 2003/04 fiscal year. Where partial data is available for the fiscal year, it is reported; where no data is available for 2003/04, the most recent year's data is reported. Performance reporting shows results over several years to illustrate trends and provide context for recent results. Given the size and scope of the health system, viewing results over time gives a clearer, broader indication of performance in a given area.

Overview of Ministry Goals

To renew public health and improve health care services for British Columbians, the ministry has embarked on a wide-ranging strategy of health system reform. Reform efforts are designed to meet government's three long-term goals for BC's health care system:

Goal 1: High Quality Patient Care

Patients receive appropriate, effective, quality care at the right time in the right setting. Health services are planned, managed and delivered in concert with patient needs.

Goal 2: Improved Health and Wellness for British Columbians

British Columbians are supported in their pursuit of better health through health protection and promotion and disease prevention activities.

Goal 3: A Sustainable, Affordable Public Health System

The public health system is affordable, efficient and accountable, with governors, providers and patients taking responsibility for the provision and use of services.

Report on Results

The ministry's 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan contained a number of objectives and strategies designed to move the health system toward reaching these goals. This section reports on those objectives and strategies, as well as actual results of performance compared to the targets set out in the 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan.

		Core Business: Services Delivered by Partners

		Core Business: Services Delivered by Ministry

		Core Business: Stewardship

		Core Business: Corporate Management

Discontinued Performance Measures

The following performance measures were contained in the Ministry of Health Services or Ministry of Health Planning 2003/04 – 2005/06 Service Plan. These measures were discontinued as part of the ongoing refinement of performance indicators.

Target 03/04: TBD.

Actual 03/04: Measure was discontinued.

Rationale: This measure was intended to include compliance targets for initiatives under the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Health Accord of 2003. The measure was discontinued because the ministry does not have sufficient control over the timing of target setting to make it a feasible service plan measure. Use of Accord funding, however, can be found in this report in the Resource Section on page 81.

Target 03/04: Regulations, policy and guidelines developed for new/revised legislation.

Actual 03/04: Measure was discontinued.

Rationale: Public health is currently governed under the Health Act. Work has begun to review the Act in light of modern public health legislation, with the intent of bringing forward recommendations for updating the existing Act. This work will continue, but this measure has been discontinued because it is not considered one of the few, critical areas of performance for inclusion in the service plan.

Target 03/04: TBD.

Actual 03/04: Measure was discontinued.

Rationale: This indicator was originally adopted as a measure of the clarity and consistency of the ministry's policy direction to its service delivery partners. In practice it was an unworkable approach due to the labour intensity of reviewing all health sector policies. In its place the ministry will monitor success in providing clear direction through open communication with partners and by addressing clarity issues as they become apparent. The 2004/05 – 2006/07 Service Plan includes a performance measure (MOHS — Performance Measure 2, page 35 — health authorities' ratings of the clarity of government direction) which will provide a better indication of the ministry's success in providing clear policy direction.

Target 03/04: Review completed and changes implemented.

Actual 03/04: Fair PharmaCare Plan implemented.

Rationale: The Fair PharmaCare Plan was introduced in May 2003. The new Plan is income-based in order to better provide a sustainable and equitable public drug benefit program focused on those with the greatest need.

The ministry will continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of the new plan on beneficiaries as well as on the overall sustainability of the PharmaCare program. Preliminary evaluations indicate drug utilization has not decreased in either senior or non-senior groups since the Plan's implementation. The ministry is also working with Harvard University and the University of British Columbia on a long-term evaluation of Fair PharmaCare which will continue until 2009.

Target 03/04: Maintain 45-50 per cent public satisfaction rate and achieve 70 per cent patient satisfaction rate.

Actual 03/04: Measure was discontinued.

Rationale: A public satisfaction survey did not proceed in 2003/04. Instead, survey efforts were focused on sector specific patient satisfaction with surveys having been designed and implemented for the emergency room and long-term care sectors. Receiving feedback and input from the users of these services provides the ministry and health authorities with valuable information that can be used to improve services. General population surveys would not provide the same level of useful information and so the ministry and health authorities focused resources on patient specific surveys.