How good is the quality of health care in Saskatchewan?

SASKATOON, June 21 /CNW/ - In October 2008 the province's Health Quality Council (HQC) released its first "state of health care quality" report, called Quality Insight. Key messages in that inaugural report were that limited access to timely data and the absence of an electronic health record were making it hard for HQC, health providers, and system leaders to improve health care for Saskatchewan patients. Because of these challenges, said the Council, we don't know much about the quality of health care in the province.

A lot has happened in our health care system over the past 19 months, including the Patient First Review and the launch of the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative. So, what progress has been made on issues flagged in HQC's 2008 report? Has access to data improved? Are we any closer to having a province-wide electronic health record? And what about quality of care? Do we have any clearer picture of how good health care is in Saskatchewan? If so, is it improving? How do we compare to other jurisdictions?

The province's Health Quality Council will release its Quality Insight 2010 a report at a news conference:

    
                           Wednesday, June 23, 2010
                                    10 AM
                         Candle Room, Atrium Building
            (located on the south wall at west end of main floor)
                     111 Research Drive, Innovation Place
                                  Saskatoon

    - Dr. Marlene Smadu, Health Quality Council Chair, will outline progress
      on issues we highlighted in our 2008 Quality Insight report.
    - Nicole Wohlgemuth, Program Director for Quality Insight, will present
      the latest information on quality of drug management of seniors;
      diabetes care; asthma care; post-heart attack care, patient
      satisfaction with hospital care - and for the first time, stroke care.
    - Anne Neufeld, Interim Vice President, Finance and Administration,
      Saskatoon Health Region, will speak about the benefits of a provincial
      measurement and reporting system from a health region perspective.
    

Reporters will also get a live demonstration of the online version of Quality Insight, which contains detailed information about all care areas being monitored by HQC.

For further information: Sheila Ragush, Communications Consultant, Phone: [phone], ext. 113 (cell: 370-2543), Email: [email protected]