This project identified where health services are used most and why, allowing decision-makers to better plan services, reduce costs, and improve outcomes for patients who need the most care.
This project used a method called Small Area Rate Variation (SARV) to look at patterns of high healthcare use in 78 areas across Nova Scotia, based on the first three digits of residents’ postal codes. It focused on adults aged 30 and over and compared healthcare use in these small areas to provincial averages. Knowing more about these people—where they are and why their costs are so high—is an important first step in finding better ways to deliver healthcare for everyone.
What we learned
- Final report: Small area variation in rates of high-cost healthcare use across Nova Scotia (PDF)
- Summary report: Where are the high-cost healthcare users in Nova Scotia? (PDF)