Healthcare Management Forum

Governments need to be more strategic in their approach to healthcare and ensure greater accountability for the performance of their health systems. They can start by agreeing on a pan-Canadian vision for the health of Canadians and the services to be provided, accompanied by explicit policy goals, evidence-based performance targets, and more transparent public reporting.

Les gouvernements doivent adopter une démarche plus stratégique envers les soins de santé et s'assurer d'une plus grande responsabilité quant à la performance de leur système de santé. Ils peuvent commencer par s'entendre sur une vision pancanadienne de la santé des Canadiens et des services à dispenser, accompagnée d'objectifs stratégiques explicites, de cibles de performance appuyées par des données probantes et de rapports publics plus transparents.

The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council has a mandate to bring health system stakeholders together in a collaborative partnership to improve quality of care. Our experience has demonstrated the value of networks to provide a forum for individuals to “think like a system,” considering the perspectives of others in addressing system issues. This transition from silo-based thinking is important as we move to improve the quality of care at the pace that is required.

In the early 2000s, the Alberta government established the roots of what is now the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Ultimately, the Health Quality Council of Alberta's goal is to provide the information it gathers, particularly from the voice of Albertans to healthcare system leaders, in a way that informs their strategic decision making to enable tangible changes that can improve health service quality and patient safety.

Saskatchewan was the first province in Canada to establish a Quality Council. Fall 2012 would mark the 10-year anniversary of this unique change agency. This article looks back on what the Health Quality Council has achieved to date working collaboratively with its health system partners and looks ahead to coming challenges and opportunities.

Since 2005, the Ontario Health Quality Council (OHQC) has been reporting on healthcare quality in the province and supporting quality improvement activities. The 2010 Excellent Care for All Act added the evaluation of clinical evidence and making of recommendations on funding to the Council's responsibilities. In April 2011, Health Quality Ontario (HQO) was formed from a merger of OHQC and three other quality-focused organizations. The agency is now focusing on integrating the functions of all of these organizations on a quality agenda.

Appraising the performance of Québec's health and social services system is a collective project led by the Health and Welfare Commissioner who welcomes the participation of health and social service practitioners, administrators, decision makers, and the entire Québec population. The mission of the Commissioner, an independent and permanent body instituted in 2006, is to provide perspective for public debate and government decision making to enhance the health and welfare of all Quebecers.

This article presents an overview of the work of the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) since its creation by exploring its mandate and by presenting its different initiatives and publications as they relate to the NBHC's areas of work: population health, care experience, sustainability, and citizen engagement.