CFN awards Benchmark Study

CFN recently awarded a contract to design and implement a benchmark study (environmental scan) that systematically examines current care of the seriously ill, frail elderly nearing end of life. Through this scan CFN will quantitate the health care environment and the health care that this population receives in Canada. This study will also help identify health care resource utilization which may ultimately be used by policy and decision makers to better utilize and marshal health care resources.

The contract has been awarded to a team at the Québec Centre for Excellence in Aging (CEVQ) led by Dr. Anik Giguère, Université Laval, with project co-leaders Dr. Robin Urquart of Dalhousie University, and Dr. Sharon Straus of the University of Toronto, and team members from across Canada.

The study will use a mixed methodology, and most quantitative data will come from existing national and provincial patient health databases such as the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the Ontario Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and similar databases in other Canadian provinces. A national Stakeholder Advisory Board will also play an important role.

A final report is expected in late December 2015 and an interim report with a summary of results to-date will be delivered in early June 2015.