Volume-DI - Health Quality Ontario (HQO)

INDICATOR NAME

Name

Total number of patients who had a diagnostic imaging scan completed

Alternate Name

Total number of patients who received a diagnostic imaging scan.

INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Description

This indicator measures the total number of patients who received a diagnostic imaging scan in Ontario. The number represents the total number of patients who was referred for a diagnostic imaging scan and had the scan completed. Patients are assigned a priority level for their scan by the referring physician based on clinical evidence. The number is reported based on the institution where the scan took place.

HQO Reporting tool/product

Public reporting

Dimension

Timely

Type

Process

DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Unit of Measurement

Number of patients

Calculation Methods

Total count of diagnostic imaging scans within the period meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Inclusion Criteria:

All closed wait list entries with scan dates within the reporting period.
For adult scans, patients that are 18 years and older on the day the scan was completed.
For paediatric scans, patients that are younger than 18 years on the day the scan was completed.
Patients assigned as Priority Level 2 - 4 for scan.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Scans no longer required

2. Patients assigned as Priority Level 1 for scan

3. Wait list entries identified by hospitals as data entry errors

4. Scans classified as specified date procedures (SDP) or timed scans

Numerator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Denominator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Adjustment (risk, age/sex standardization)- generalized

None

Data Source

Wait Time Information System (WTIS)

Data provided to HQO by

Cancer Care Ontario (CCO)

Reported Levels of comparability /stratifications (defined)

Corporation, Priority level, Province, Time

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Caveats and Limitations

1. This wait time is collected for patients who have their diagnostic imaging scan. That is, patients who are still waiting are not included in the calculation. 2. Hospitals with small volumes will be more severely impacted by extreme waits (particularly the average wait time). For example, an unusually long or short wait time for a single patient in a reporting period for hospitals that do not scan a lot of patients will have a greater impact on the average. 3. Since Wait Time data is reported at the hospital corporation or facility level, facilities with multiple sites will be reported together even though data is collected at each site. 4. There are other factors that affect wait times for a diagnostic exam that do not relate to a hospital’s efficiency or the availability of resources, e.g. patient choice.