Technical Notes

Regional health indicators

The methodology used for these indicators was designed to maximize inter-regional and inter-provincial comparability given the characteristics of available national datasets. For this reason, there may be differences between definitions, data sources, and extraction procedures used in some local, regional, or provincial/territorial reports when compared to those described here. In addition, discrepancies may exist due to on-going updates to databases.

Rates are standardized wherever possible to facilitate comparability across provinces/regions and over time.

Health region level rates and population estimates presented in this publication are based on the boundaries in effect as of January 1999.

Indicators based on hospitalization records are limited to health regions with population greater than 100,000.

Health region level population estimates:

• Population estimates for health regions were produced by Statistics Canada (Demography Division) for all provinces, except Quebec and British Columbia. Quebec health region population estimates were provided by l'Institut de la statistique du Québec and British Columbia population estimates were provided by BC Stats.
  
  See Appendix 1 for methodology.
  
  
• The population estimates for health regions in Alberta prepared by Statistics Canada differ from those of Alberta Health and Wellness, which are based principally on Alberta's health care file. The differences in these estimates are shown in Appendix 2. Work is underway to reconcile these population differences. Therefore, rates presented in this publication may differ from those produced by Alberta Health and Wellness.