This presentation provides a strategy, planning and resources for LHINs. Bob Gardner, Director of Policy www.wellesleyinstitute.com Follow us on twitter @wellesleyWI

1. Health Disparities
Bob Gardner
August 2010
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September 2, 2010 www.wellesleyinstitute.com 1

2. • there is a clear gradient in health in which people with lower
income, education or other indicators of social inequality
and exclusion tend to have poorer health
• plus major differences between women and men
• in addition, there are systemic disparities in access to and
quality of care within the healthcare system
• not just unfair, but health disparities make it more difficult
to achieve provincial priorities such as ALCs, ER, diabetes,
etc, and contribute to avoidable costs
• that’s why enhancing health equity has become a clear
priority – from the Province to LHINs to many providers
• and that’s why we need tools and approaches to build equity
into effective system and service planning
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4. © The Wellesley Institute
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7. inequality in how long people live
• difference btwn life expectancy of top and bottom
income decile = 7.4 years for men and 4.5 for women
+ inequality in how well people live:
• more sophisticated analyses add the pronounced
gradient in morbidity to mortality → taking account
of quality of life and developing data on health
adjusted life expectancy
• even higher disparities btwn top and bottom = 11.4
years for men and 9.7 for women (Statistics Canada
Health Reports Dec 09)
© The Wellesley Institute
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8. • these and further resources on policy directions
to enhance health equity, health reform and the
social determinants of health are available on
our site at http://wellesleyinstitute.com
• my email is bob@wellesleyinstitute.com
• I would be interested in any comments on how
useful this resource was and how you would
improve it
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