This indicator gives the percentage of individuals who had 4 or more emergency room (ER) or urgent care centre (UCC) visits for help with mental health and substance use in a given year.

Total number of individuals in the denominator who had at least 4 ER or UCC visits for mental health and substance use in a 365-day period. Each individual has a 12-month look-back period prior to their most recent visit in a given year. Therefore, data for 2 fiscal years is necessary to obtain the data for the numerator.

Total number of individuals who had at least 1 ER or UCC visit for mental health and substance use in a fiscal year. The most recent visit in a fiscal year is the index visit.

Records with: invalid health card number, invalid code for province issuing health card number, dead on arrival (Visit Disposition Code = 11, 71*). Scheduled ED visits (ED_visit_indicator = 0), Transfer to and from ED (Transfer from OR Transfer to Type = E). 2018–2019 data onward: Medical assistance in dying (MAID) (Visit Disposition Code = 73)

Age group, recorded sex or gender, mental illness category, left against medical advice, ambulatory care type and COVID-19 diagnosis.

By age group, recorded sex or gender, neighbourhood income quintile, urban versus rural/remote, ambulatory care type and reporting level: National, Province/Territory, Region.

National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS)

Online visualization: www.cihi.ca/en/indicators/frequent-emergency-room-visits-for-help-with-mental-health-and-substance-use

www.cihi.ca/en/access-data-and-reports/indicator-library

www.cihi.ca/en/indicators/frequent-emergency-room-visits-for-help-with-mental-health-and-substance-use