Outpatient Health Services Use by Children in Ontario

With increasing emphasis on cost containment and a focus on meeting the needs of an aging population, the healthcare system must ensure that other segments of the population are not overlooked. This research atlas describes trends in health service use by children under 20 years of age in Ontario.

Despite an overall increase in the number of children in the province from 1991 to 1998, this report found that pediatric OHIP billing volumes declined in the same period by 10.6%. As well, per capita expenditures dropped from $241 to $212, an 11.9% decrease that accounted for a 5.7% reduction in expenditures since 1991. Close to 70% of the 1997/98 OHIP expenditures on children’s outpatient services were for physician consultations or visits, including office, emergency room and home visits.