Descriptive statistics to help inform a patient complexity measure for Ontario emergency departments

Summary

Project ID: 2024-002/TRIM 2025 0950 175 000
Project title: Descriptive statistics to help inform a patient complexity measure for Ontario emergency departments
Type of response: Research Project
Knowledge User: Department of Emergency Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center
ICES Scientist: Luke Mondor
Summary: The proposed AHRQ is to determine a suite of descriptive statistics that would be used to inform a complexity measure for ED patients in Ontario. Descriptive statistics that are associated with patient complexity could be used to derive a complexity measure. This validated complexity measure could be a unique metric to describe an ED’s population, as well as represent patient demand for healthcare resources. Consequently, a complexity measure could complement existing measures to determine resource and manpower allocation. We know that a formal complexity measure is not incorporated in current models, so this data could enhance the model. Other jurisdictions, such as Australia, uses a basic complexity measure for its activity-based funding models. Ontario is exploring activity-based funding with its quality-based procedures, so a complexity measure would be important if activity-based funding were expanded in Canadian funding models. For ED performance evaluation, such as Pay-for-Results, the complexity measure can be used as an adjustment factor such that EDs can be compared fairly. This information would be useful for hospital senior leadership to advocate for resources, such as beds and staffing.
Status: In progress