About Framework measurement
The New Brunswick Health Council reports on the performance of the provincial health system by measuring and informing about the outcomes of health care service delivery.
It also examines how these outcomes influence the health of the population and how the health system responds to the health needs of the population within the context of resource utilization.
To measure and report on the outcomes of the health system, NBHC leverages the dimensions of quality to assess the performance of the different sectors of care that comprise the different services and programs delivered to citizens.
In New Brunswick, health services can be grouped into 4 major sectors of care.
In addition to being accountable for performance within each sector, health service organizations share responsibilities that go beyond the four sectors and affect the overall health system.
For example, the performance of one sector can impact the performance of other sectors. Therefore, the NBHC also measures and reports on overall health system performance by assessing these shared areas of responsibility.
Key Observations
In New Brunswick in 2024-2025:
• Zone 1 reported the highest percentage of 911 ambulance offload delays (89%) and the longest ambulance offload average time (86 minutes).
• Non-urgent emergency department visits for all hospitals (classified as levels 4 and 5), were lowest in Zone 7 (37%) and highest in Zone 4 (64%).
• 4 out of 100 patients in acute care services, were considered high users of hospital services. The lowest rate was observed in Zone 6 (4 per 100 patients), and the highest rate was in Zone 7 (6 per 100 patients).
• The provincial rate of avoidable hospitalizations (ambulatory care sensitive conditions) was 367 per 100,000 population. In Zone 7, this rate was nearly double at 628 per 100,000 population.
• 8% of all patient hospitalizations were designated as Alternate Level of Care (ALC), meaning they no longer required the level of care provided in that setting. This percentage was highest in hospitals in Zone 6 with 15%.
