The Pay for Results program in Ontario is expanding in order to reduce emergency room wait times. Since 2008, the program has helped hospitals lower overall wait times by 4.7 hours (28 percent) for patients who require complex medical care or admission to the hospital and by 1.4 hours (22 percent) for patients with minor conditions.
The program assists hospitals in the implementation of initiatives such as patient flow tracking systems, which improve discharge and admission processes, or hiring nurse practitioners to treat patients with less complex conditions.
The additional $100 million investment by the provincial government will allow an additional 25 hospitals in Ontario to participate in this program, increasing the total number of hospitals participating to 71.
See the press release “ER Wait Times Program Expands,” July 29, 2010, atnews.ontario.ca.