High-cost users of Ontario's healthcare services

Abstract

Approximately 1.5% of Ontario's population, represented by the top 5% highest cost-incurring users of Ontario's hospital and home care services, account for 61% of hospital and home care costs. Similar studies from other jurisdictions also show that a relatively small number of people use a high proportion of health system resources. Understanding these high-cost users (HCUs) can inform local healthcare planners in their efforts to improve the quality of care and reduce burden on patients and the healthcare system. To facilitate this understanding, we created a profile of HCUs using demographic and clinical characteristics. The profile provides detailed information on HCUs by care type, geography, age, sex and top clinical conditions.