Production of this document is made possible by financial contributions from Health Canada and provincial and territorial governments. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada or any provincial or territorial government.
Unless otherwise indicated, this product uses data provided by Canada’s provinces and territories.
All rights reserved.
The contents of this publication may be reproduced unaltered, in whole or in part and by any means, solely for non-commercial purposes, provided that the Canadian Institute for Health Information is properly and fully acknowledged as the copyright owner. Any reproduction or use of this publication or its contents for any commercial purpose requires the prior written authorization of the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Reproduction or use that suggests endorsement by, or affiliation with, the Canadian Institute for Health Information is prohibited.
For permission or information, please contact CIHI:
Canadian Institute for Health Information495 Richmond Road, Suite 600Ottawa, Ontario K2A 4H6Phone: 613-241-7860Fax: [email protected]
ISBN 978-1-77109-661-4 (PDF)
© 2017 Canadian Institute for Health Information
How to cite this document:Canadian Institute for Health Information. Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2017.
Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre Base de données sur la main-d’œuvre de la santé, 2016 : guide méthodologique.ISBN 978-1-77109-662-1 (PDF)
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Table of contentsHealth workforce information at CIHI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
About this document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Health care providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Data sources and collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Data quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Privacy and confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Regulation status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Data sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Data collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Population of reference and collection period. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Renewal project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Under- and over-coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Inflow and outflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Population estimates and per 100,000 population counts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Retention and entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Average age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Urban and rural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Health care providers working in direct care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Health regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Health region peer groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Place of Employment groupings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
International indicator tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Comparability of data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Methodological and historical changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Occupational therapist data, 2007 to 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Pharmacist data, 2007 to 2016. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Physiotherapist data, 2007 to 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Aggregate-level data, 2007 to 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
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Appendix A: List of health care providers, first year of regulation and regulation status, by jurisdiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Appendix B: Population estimates, by jurisdiction, 2007 to 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Appendix C: List of HWDB data providers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Appendix D: CIHI data availability by health care provider and by jurisdiction, 2014 to 2016 . . 37
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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Health workforce information at CIHIThe Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and reports health human resources data to support federal, provincial and territorial workforce planning and policy development. CIHI collects and reports data on 30 groups of health care providers. For 8 provider groups, data is available at the record level; for the other 22, data is available at the aggregate level. New groups are added as data becomes available.
Record-level collection offers information on the supply, distribution, demographic, education and employment characteristics of health care providers; aggregate-level collection offers information on their supply and demographics. CIHI also collects information on training programs and the number of graduates for each profession.
Information and analyses are available on the Health Workforce pages of our website.
Feedback and questions are welcome at [email protected].
For more information, please contact
Program Lead, Health Workforce InformationCanadian Institute for Health Information495 Richmond Road, Suite 600Ottawa, Ontario K2A 4H6
Phone: 613-241-7860Fax: 613-241-8120Email: [email protected]: www.cihi.ca
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About this documentThis document summarizes the basic concepts, underlying methodologies, strengths and limitations of the data. It provides a better understanding of the health workforce information presented in our analytical products and the ways in which it can be effectively used. This information is particularly important when making comparisons with other data sources and when looking at trends over time.
Health care providersOccupational therapists (OTs) are regulated health care providers who promote health, well-being and quality of life by enabling individuals, families, organizations and communities to participate in occupations that give meaning and purpose to their lives. The concept of occupation refers to “everything that people do during the course of everyday life,”1 such as self-care, play, work, study and leisure. OTs contribute to the productivity of Canadians through client-centred care.
Pharmacists are regarded as the medication management experts of the health care team and collaborate with patients, their families and other health care providers to benefit the health of Canadians. They are health care providers who work in a variety of different settings, such as hospitals, community pharmacies, family health teams, the pharmaceutical industry, governments, associations, colleges and universities.
Physiotherapists (PTs) are regulated, evidence-based, primary health care providers who aim to prevent, assess and treat the impact of injury, disease and/or disorders in movement and function. PTs work to promote optimal mobility; help improve physical activity and overall health and wellness; prevent disease, injury and disability; manage acute and chronic conditions; manage activity limitations and participation restrictions; improve and maintain optimal functional independence and physical performance; rehabilitate injury and the effects of disease or disability; and educate clients and plan maintenance and support programs to prevent reoccurrence, re-injury or functional decline.
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TerminologyThroughout this guide,
• Health Workforce Database (HWDB) refers to the database that stores both record-level and aggregate-level data collected on 30 groups of health care providers in Canada.
• The term supply refers to all registrants who were eligible to practise in the given year (including those employed and those not employed at the time of registration). Note that inactive registrants and secondary registrants or interprovincial duplicates are excluded from the supply.
• The term workforce refers to only those registrants who were employed in the profession at the time of annual registration, including those on leave.
• The term primary employment refers to employment, with an employer or in a self-employed arrangement, that is associated with the highest number of usual weekly hours of work. All workforce data and analyses in this product represent primary employment statistics for the respective health care providers.
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Data sources and collectionData qualityCIHI is founded on the principles of data quality, privacy and confidentiality. Data collection, processing, analysis and dissemination are guided by CIHI’s commitment to publishing high-quality data in a privacy-sensitive manner. Data quality methodologies are used to maximize the accuracy, timeliness, usability and relevance of the health workforce data.
Privacy and confidentialityTo safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of data received by CIHI, guidelines have been developed to govern the publication and release of health information in accordance with provincial and territorial privacy legislation.
Regulation statusWhether a health profession is regulated in a jurisdiction has a significant impact on data collection and the quality of the data. Regulated health professions are governed by a legislative framework, which establishes health regulatory organizations that regulate the professions in the public’s interest. Health regulatory organizations are responsible for ensuring that regulated health care providers provide health services in a safe, professional and ethical manner. Self-regulated health care providers are involved in determining the rules that govern the profession and are accountable for their own behaviour. The regulation status of health professions may impact data comparability and trends. Appendix A lists the first year of regulation and registration status, by jurisdiction, for the 30 groups of health care providers included in this data release.
Data sourcesProvincial, territorial and national associations, regulatory and licensing bodies, and departments of health are the primary providers of supply data (e.g., demographic, employment and geographic characteristics). Provincial, territorial and national associations, regulatory and licensing bodies, individual colleges and universities, and departments of labour and advanced education are the primary providers of education data (e.g., number of seats and graduates).
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Data collectionIn provinces and territories where health professions are regulated or require a licence to practise, official registration with the provincial/territorial regulatory/licensing authority requires the completion of a registration form on an annual basis. In provinces and territories where health professions are not regulated, health care providers often register with their respective national association to obtain an annual membership.
Through agreement with CIHI, OT, pharmacist and PT regulatory/licensing authorities and national associations submit a set of standardized data to CIHI, which is collected using the annual registration forms. Data includes demographic, education/training, geographic and employment characteristics.
Statistics reported by CIHI may differ from those reported by others, even though the source of the data (i.e., annual registration forms) is the same. Differences may be attributed to differences in the population of reference, the collection period and/or CIHI’s data exclusion criteria and editing and processing methodologies.
Population of reference and collection periodCIHI takes steps to adjust the population of reference of the health workforce data to more closely represent the population of interest. To better ensure timeliness, CIHI collects data prior to the end of the registration period, which varies among professions and jurisdictions. A cut-off date for data collection was established through consultation with the HWDB data providers and reflects a point in time when the majority of the registrations have been received for the registration period. Table 1 provides a summary of data collection cut-off dates, as well as the first year of data collection at CIHI, by health care provider group.
Aggregate-level data reflects data as of December 31 of the given year. Since the registration periods vary among health care providers and across jurisdictions, not all data providers can provide data as of December 31 of each year.
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Table 1 Data collection cut-off date by health care provider group
Health care provider group Data collection cut-off dateFirst year of data collection at CIHI
Audiologists March 31 2001
Chiropractors March 31 1988
Dental assistants March 31 2011
Dental hygienists March 31 1988
Dentists March 31 1988
Dietitians March 31 1988
Environmental public health professionals March 31 1999
Genetic counsellors March 31 2011
Health information management professionals March 31 1988
Medical laboratory technologists March 31 2008
Medical physicists March 31 1992
Medical radiation technologists March 31 2008
Midwives March 31 1996
Occupational therapists October 1 2006
Opticians March 31 2011
Optometrists March 31 1988
Paramedics March 31 2011
Pharmacists October 1 2006
Pharmacy technicians March 31 2012
Physician assistants March 31 2013
Physicians n/a 1978
Physiotherapists September 1 2007
Psychologists March 31 1988
Licensed practical nurses 6 months after registration year begins 2002
Registered nurses/nurse practitioners 6 months after registration year begins 1980/2003
Registered psychiatric nurses 6 months after registration year begins 2002
Respiratory therapists March 31 1988
Social workers March 31 1988
Speech–language pathologists March 31 2001
Noten/a: Not applicable.
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Renewal projectStarting in 2015, there was a pause in data collection and reporting for what was previously known as the Health Personnel Database (HPDB), which underwent a renewal project to improve the quality of the data and to streamline the data cycle. Beginning in 2017, aggregate data collection resumed for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 data years using a revised data standard and, in some instances, new data sources. CIHI continues to work with data providers to improve the collection and reporting of data on health care providers.
Under- and over-coverageUnder- and over-coverage occur when there is a difference between the population of reference and the frame. The frame for a data holding is a list of units (i.e., jurisdictions) that will be part of the data collection. The frame is used to determine from whom the data should be collected and what proportion of the data was actually received.
Under-coverage occurs when part of the population of reference is not included in the database.
Over-coverage occurs when duplicates appear in the database or when out-of-scope records (i.e., inactive registrants) are included.
Registration period versus data collection periodWhile setting cut-off dates enables CIHI to release more timely data, the health care providers who register between the cut-off date and the end of the registration period are not included in the HWDB. This is a source of under-coverage.
Voluntary registration dataNational associations submit membership registration data to CIHI for provinces and/or territories where the corresponding profession is unregulated or does not require mandatory registration with the provincial/territorial licensing authorities. Membership registration with a national association is often voluntary; data received from the national associations for these jurisdictions is therefore under-covered.
Health care providers on leaveHealth care providers who are employed in their profession and on leave are included in the population of reference for OTs and PTs. At the time of registration and when options exist, these health care providers may state that they are employed in their profession but take leave during some of the rest of the registration period. Examples of leave are maternity/
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paternity leave, family leave, education leave and leave for short-term illness or injury. While potential over-coverage may exist, the assumption is that health care providers on temporary leave who register as employed in their profession and who provide full employment information (when possible) intend to return to that position when the temporary leave ends.
Data providers and CIHI have made efforts to address over-coverage issues and improve the accuracy of the data. Some of the issues are investigated during the data collection stage and others are investigated during the review process.
Refer to the section Methodological and historical changes for details associated with under- or over-coverage issues.
Secondary registrationsHealth care providers can choose to register simultaneously in multiple jurisdictions. In order to avoid double-counting individuals, CIHI identifies registrations that do not reflect the primary jurisdiction of practice and excludes them when reporting supply or workforce information. Such interjurisdictional duplicates are also known as secondary registrations.
Secondary registrations for record-level data are identified in the HWDB and excluded from reported statistics using the following methodology:
• When the country of residence is a non-Canadian location, the record is deemed to be a secondary registration.
• A comparison is made between the jurisdictions of registration and employment for each record; when they do not match, the record is identified as a secondary registration.
• When the jurisdiction of employment is not stated, a comparison is made between the jurisdictions of registration and residence for each record; when they do not match, the record is flagged and excluded.
• When the jurisdiction of residence is not stated, the jurisdiction of employment is assumed to be the same as the jurisdiction of registration and the record is deemed to be a primary registration.
Sometimes, double-counting a health care provider cannot be avoided. For example, a health care provider who registers and works in more than one province/territory simultaneously would be double-counted in the health workforce data, as the jurisdiction of employment would match the jurisdiction of registration.
The supply of health care providers is defined when the secondary registrations are excluded from active registrations.
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MethodologyInflow and outflowChanges in the supply of health care providers reflect the number of registrants entering (inflows) and the number leaving (outflows) their profession. Analyzing inflows and outflows for record-level data provides better information about how the supply is changing over time.
Inflow occurs when a regulated health care provider registers to practise in a jurisdiction in which she or he did not register the previous year. Inflow is calculated by dividing the number of new registrants — regulated health care providers who were not registered to practise in the same province or territory the year before — by the total number of registrants in the same year. Inflow can include new graduates as well as regulated health care providers who migrate in from other Canadian jurisdictions or foreign countries.
Outflow occurs when a regulated health care provider fails to renew her or his registration in a jurisdiction the following year. Outflow is calculated by dividing the number of registrants who did not renew their licence to practise in the same province or territory by the total number of registrants in the same year. Outflow is influenced by a number of factors, i and these factors will change over time. For those regulated health care providers who are late in their career, failing to renew their registration may be a signal that they have retired. For health care providers who are early in their career, reasons for failing to renew registration could include an employment opportunity in another jurisdiction or country, leaving the profession, parental leave and family responsibilities, or a return to school for additional education.
i. Health workers, like others in the labour force, consider many factors when choosing where to live and work. Factors might include social, political, economic, environmental and familial issues.
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Population estimates and per 100,000 population countsUsing population estimates from Statistics Canada, rates per population can be calculated for health care providers. Appendix B includes Statistics Canada’s population estimates by province and territory for 2007 to 2016.
Retention and entryOne can compare employment information for health care providers from one year to the next and consider their movement between employment settings. For example, if a pharmacist was employed in a hospital setting in 2013 and reported working in that setting again in 2014, the pharmacist would be considered retained. By contrast, if the pharmacist reported working in a community setting in 2014, the pharmacist would then be counted as an exit from the hospital as well as an entry to the community setting.
Several factors can affect the retention of health care providers from one setting to another over time. Examples include contraction/expansion of particular settings, age (e.g., retirement), the preference for a setting (e.g., work–life balance, scheduling) and reclassification (e.g., outpatient clinic from “hospital” to “community”).
Average ageThe average age for a health care provider in a given province/territory and/or Canada is calculated based on the age of the individual health care provider, which is derived from the data elements Birth Year and the current Reporting Year for each record. Records with missing age are excluded from the calculation.
Average age = 1 Agei∑i = 1
n
n
Where
• i = Individual health care provider
• n = Total number of health care providers in a jurisdiction or Canada
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Urban and rural iiA postal code analysis is performed to determine whether a health care provider was practising in a rural or urban setting. The postal code of the workplace is used to conduct this analysis. If the postal code is unknown or invalid, it is defaulted to not collected.
Using Statistics Canada’s Postal Code Conversion File (PCCF), postal codes were assigned to statistical area classifications (SACs) — urban, rural, remote and territories. Urban areas are defined (in part) by Statistics Canada as communities with populations greater than 10,000 people; rural/remote is equated with communities outside the urban boundaries and is referred to as rural and small town (RST) by Statistics Canada.
RST communities are further subdivided by identifying the degree to which they are influenced in terms of social and economic integration with larger urban centres. Metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ) categories disaggregate the RST population into 4 subgroups: strong MIZ, moderate MIZ, weak MIZ and no MIZ.
All categories may be interpreted in the following simple manner:
• Urban: Greater than 10,000 people (SAC type = 1, 2, 3)
• Rural: Strong/moderate MIZ and located relatively close to larger urban centres (SAC type = 4, 5)
• Remote: Weak/no MIZ and distant from large urban centres (SAC type = 6, 7, 8)
The urban and rural analysis for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut was completed differently from the analysis for the provinces and Yukon. Urban areas were identified as postal codes within Yellowknife and Iqaluit, respectively, that would otherwise be labelled rural. Rural areas were identified as postal codes outside of Yellowknife and Iqaluit.
Health care providers working in direct careThe term direct care refers to only those registrants who provided services directly to clients. The methodology for defining health care providers employed in direct care can vary by profession.
For OTs, direct care includes those whose areas of practice are in mental health, neurological system, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular and respiratory system, digestive/metabolic/endocrine system, general physical health, vocational rehabilitation, palliative care, health promotion and wellness, and other areas of direct service.
ii. Details of the urban/rural classification schemes can be found in McNiven et al.,2 du Plessis et al.3 and CIHI.4
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For pharmacists, direct care includes those whose primary position is staff pharmacist, pharmacy owner/manager, pharmacy manager or institutional leader/coordinator.
For PTs, direct care includes those whose areas of practice are in general practice, sports medicine, burns and wound management, plastics, amputations, orthopedics, rheumatology, vestibular rehabilitation, perineal, oncology, critical care, cardiology, neurology, respirology, health promotion and wellness, palliative care, return to work rehabilitation, ergonomics and other area of direct service.
Health regionsHealth regions are legislated administrative areas defined by provincial ministries of health. These administrative areas represent geographic areas of responsibility for hospital boards or regional health authorities. Health regions, being provincial administrative areas, are subject to change.
The health region data presented in this publication includes only regulated OTs, pharmacists and PTs who work in direct patient care and whose postal code was within the province or territory of analysis; those employed in administration, education or research are excluded from the health region totals.
The postal code data and Statistics Canada’s PCCF were used to assign the regulated OTs, pharmacists and PTs to health regions. The postal code of the workplace was used to conduct this analysis. If the postal code was outside of the province/territory of analysis, the health region was defaulted to outside of jurisdiction.
Health region peer groupsIn order to facilitate comparisons among health regions, Statistics Canada developed a methodology that groups health regions with similar socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics; these are referred to as peer groups. The health region peer groups defined by Statistics Canada are presented in Health Workforce, 2016: Indicators.
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Place of Employment groupingsIn order to provide comparable data across HWDB professions, groupings for the Place of Employment data element were revised in 2016 for OTs, pharmacists and PTs. Table 2 highlights the updated categories for Place of Employment. Caution is advised when comparing data tables historically.
Table 2 Place of Employment update
Type of provider Prior to 2016 As of 2016Occupational therapists
Hospital General hospital; rehabilitation hospital/facility; mental health hospital/facility
General hospital; rehabilitation hospital/facility; mental health hospital/facility
Community Residential care facility; assisted-living residence; community health centre; visiting agency/business; school or school board
Community health centre; visiting agency/business; group professional practice/clinic; solo professional practice/business; school or school board
Professional practice Group professional practice/clinic; solo professional practice/business
n/a
Long-term care n/a Residential care facility; assisted-living residence
Other Post-secondary educational institution; association/government/para-governmental; industry, manufacturing and commercial; other employer types not otherwise specified
Post-secondary educational institution; association/government/para-governmental; industry, manufacturing and commercial; other employer types not otherwise specified
PharmacistsHospital and other health care facility
Rehabilitation facilities; mental health facilities; residential care facilities
Rehabilitation facilities; mental health facilities; residential care facilities
Community pharmacy Retail setting where drugs and related products are distributed primarily through direct contact with clients
n/a
Community n/a Community health centre; community pharmacy; group professional practice/clinic; other community-based pharmacist practice
Health-related industry/manufacturing/commercial
Health-related industry whose focus of activities is not the direct delivery of health care services but rather health-related products, services and/or sales (medical device companies, pharmaceutical companies, insurers, etc.)
n/a
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Type of provider Prior to 2016 As of 2016Pharmacists (cont’d)
Long-term care n/a Grouped with hospital and other health care facilities
Other Other pharmacy; group professional practice/clinic; community health centre; other community-based pharmacist practice; post-secondary educational institution; association/government/para-governmental; community pharmacy corporate office; other place of employment not otherwise specified
Other pharmacy; post-secondary educational institution; association/government/para-governmental; health-related industry/manufacturing/commercial; community pharmacy corporate office; other place of employment not otherwise specified
PhysiotherapistsHospital General hospital; rehabilitation hospital/
facility; mental health hospital/facilityGeneral hospital; rehabilitation hospital/facility; mental health hospital/facility
Community Residential care facility; assisted-living residence; community health centre; visiting agency/business; school or school board
Community health centre; visiting agency/business; group professional practice/clinic; solo professional practice/business; school or school board
Professional practice Group professional practice/clinic; solo professional practice/business
n/a
Long-term care n/a Residential care facility; assisted-living residence
Other Post-secondary educational institution; association/government/para-governmental; industry, manufacturing and commercial; other employer types not otherwise specified
Post-secondary educational institution; association/government/para-governmental; industry, manufacturing and commercial; other employer types not otherwise specified
Noten/a: The category did not exist and/or was changed.
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International indicator tablesIn an effort to improve the usability of Canada’s health workforce statistics for international stakeholders, CIHI has developed a series of health workforce indicators grounded in the work of the World Health Organization’s National Health Workforce Accounts: A Handbook.5 CIHI’s release is focused on indicators identified in Module 1: Active health workforce stock.
Table 3 highlights the health care provider component for the 8 indicators included in CIHI’s release, as well as variations in terminology for the data presented by CIHI. Please see CIHI’s Indicator Library for the detailed methodology for each health workforce indicator.
Table 3 CIHI-reported WHO indicators
Table in Health Workforce, 2016: Indicators Excel file WHO indicatorTable 1: Health care providers employed in direct care per 100,000 population, by type of provider and jurisdiction, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-02: Density of Active Health Workers per 1,000 Population, by Cadre
1-03: Density of Active Health Workers per 1,000 Population by Cadre and at Subnational Level
Table 2: Health care provider supply, by employment status and type of provider, per 100,000 population, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-04: Density of Active Health Workers per 1,000 Population, by Cadre, by Activity Level (Practising, Professionally Active, Licensed to Practice)
Table 3: Ratio of health care providers employed in direct care to supply, by type of provider, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-05: Ratio Between Active and Registered Health Workers, by Cadre
Table 4: Health care providers employed in direct care, by age group, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-07: Percentage of Active Health Workers in Different Age Groups, by Cadre and Sex
Table 5: Health care providers employed in direct care, by country of graduation and type of provider, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-09: Percentage of Active Foreign-Trained Health Workers by Place of Birth (Domestic/Foreign) and by Country of Training
Table 6: Health care providers employed in direct care, by place of work and type of provider, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-11: Percentage of Active Health Workers Employed by Facility Type, by Cadre
Table 7: Health care providers employed in direct care, by health region and jurisdiction, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-12: Density of Active Health Workers in Different Regions (by Regional Typology, by Cadre)
Table 8: Health care providers employed in direct care per 100,000 population, by health region and jurisdiction, for selected provinces/territories, 2007 to 2016
1-12: Density of Active Health Workers in Different Regions (by Regional Typology, by Cadre)
Source World Health Organization. National Health Workforce Accounts: A Handbook. 2016.
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Comparability of dataMethodological and historical changesMethodological and historical changes to the data have the potential to make it difficult to compare data across time. CIHI and the regulatory authorities are continually striving to improve data quality; therefore, the following information should be considered when making historical comparisons and consulting previous CIHI publications. In all cases, comparisons should be made with caution and in consideration of the methodological and historical changes made. For a complete list of data elements, please review the Health Workforce Database Metadata page on CIHI’s website.
The section below provides information on the data elements that had data quality improvements or changes from data years 2007 to 2016 that may or may not affect comparability. The descriptions are organized by health care provider group, by data availability, and by demographic, education and employment data elements.
In the past, the companion data tables focused primarily on workforce counts. Since 2015, data tables have shifted to a balanced reporting method, where demographic and education data elements are reported for the health workforce supply and employment data elements are reported for the workforce.
Please note that there has been variation in the missing values of certain data elements from 2007 to 2016 among many jurisdictions and across each provider group. Caution is advised when comparing data within this time period. Missing values have been excluded from the percentage calculations in the data tables since 2016.
Starting in 2016, CIHI discontinued record-level data collection for medical laboratory technologists (MLTs) and medical radiation technologists (MRTs) in Canada. Record-level data for MLTs and MRTs is available for data years between 2008 and 2015. Aggregate data is available in Canada’s Health Care Providers: Provincial Profiles, 2007 to 2016 — Data Tables.
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Occupational therapist data, 2007 to 2016Data availabilityQuebec
The Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec began submitting data in 2011. Quebec data from 2007 to 2010 represents aggregate counts.
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) submits voluntary registrations for OTs residing and working in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. These counts may exclude temporary relief workers who may not have registered with CAOT.
DemographicManitoba: Year of Birth and Sex
Since 2006, the College of Occupational Therapists of Manitoba (COTM) has provided record-level information for Sex and Year of Birth for only those registrants who provided their consent to share this information with CIHI. For registrants who did not consent, the data was submitted as not collected by the COTM. To better reflect the workforce, CIHI has used the aggregate totals for Age Group, Average Age and Sex provided by Manitoba Health.
EmploymentNew Brunswick: Employment Category
New Brunswick data for self-employment in Employment Category is unavailable for all data years.
Quebec: Area of Practice, Employment Category and Postal Code of Employment
Quebec does not report on Area of Practice, Employment Category and Postal Code of Employment for all data years.
Alberta: Employment Category
From 2006 to 2008, the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists did not provide information for the value temporary employee for the data element Employment Category. For these years, temporary employee and casual employee are grouped together.
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Common issue: Employed and on leave
As of 2015, all jurisdictions collect the value employed, on leave with the exception of Quebec.
Pharmacist data, 2007 to 2016Data availabilityNew Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, Yukon and Nunavut
Supply data was acquired from the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) for New Brunswick (2014), Quebec and Nunavut (2007 to 2016), Manitoba (2007 and 2008) and Yukon (2008, 2014 and 2016).
Jurisdictions where data is unavailable
Supply data is acquired from the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities for the missing jurisdictions.
DemographicManitoba: Year of Birth and Sex
The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba does not provide record-level data for Year of Birth and Sex; however, aggregate data is provided by Manitoba Health.
EducationNewfoundland and Labrador: Year of Graduation
Year of Graduation is unavailable for Newfoundland and Labrador in 2007. As such, the derived variable Years Since Graduation cannot be calculated for that year.
New Brunswick: Year of Graduation
Year of Graduation is unavailable for New Brunswick in 2007, 2008 and 2014. As such, the derived variable Years Since Graduation cannot be calculated for those years.
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
23
New Brunswick: Location of Graduation
Between 2009 and 2013, the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society was unable to differentiate Location of Graduation (Canada and international) for pharmacists in New Brunswick.
Ontario: Education
In 2011, the University of Waterloo had its first graduating cohort since its accreditation.
Manitoba: Year of Graduation
Year of Graduation is unavailable for Manitoba in 2007 and 2008. As such, the derived variable Years Since Graduation cannot be calculated for those years.
EmploymentNewfoundland and Labrador: Employment Status
In 2007, the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board did not have Employment Status information. All submitted active registrants were assumed to be employed in the profession.
New Brunswick: Employment Status
In 2007 and 2008, the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society (known as the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists since 2014) did not submit Employment Status information. All submitted active registrants were assumed to be employed in the profession.
Ontario: Employment Category
From 2006 to 2009, and from 2011 to 2014, the Ontario College of Pharmacists was unable to accurately identify employment categories. As such, all pharmacists were coded as active permanent employees. In 2010, 2015 and 2016, data for employment categories (temporary employee, casual employee and self-employed) was accurately submitted.
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Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
Physiotherapist data, 2007 to 2016Data availabilityPrince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Yukon
Data is unavailable for the following jurisdictions and data years: Prince Edward Island, 2014; Nova Scotia, 2007 to 2009; and Yukon, 2008.
DemographicManitoba: Year of Birth and Sex
The College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba does not provide record-level data for Year of Birth and Sex; however, aggregate data was provided by Manitoba Health.
EmploymentPrince Edward Island: Area of Practice, Full-Time/Part-Time and Sector of Employment
Data for Area of Practice and Sector of Employment is unavailable for Prince Edward Island for 2006 to 2012, 2014 and 2015. Data for Full-Time/Part-Time is also unavailable for 2006 to 2012 and 2014.
Nova Scotia: Employment Category
Data for Employment Category is unavailable for Nova Scotia for all data years.
Quebec: Area of Practice, Employment Category, Employment Status and Sector of Employment
Data for Employment Category and Employment Status is unavailable for Quebec since 2006. Data for Area of Practice and Sector of Employment is also unavailable between 2012 and 2015.
Ontario: Employment Category
In 2011, the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario changed its data collection methodology for all employment data. Caution is advised when comparing historical data.
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
25
Aggregate-level data, 2007 to 2016CIHI paused aggregate data collection between 2015 and 2017 to review the data collection and reporting tools and processes. In 2017, a revised supply data standard, streamlined data sources and a new data collection template were implemented and used to capture data for the 2014 to 2016 data years.
Prior to 2014, data was collected, processed and reported based on 3 supply counts (registered, active registered, active registered employed). The revised data standard collects only active registered.
For the first time, CIHI is publishing 10-year trends for 30 groups of health care providers in Canada (see Canada’s Health Care Providers: Provincial Profiles, 2007 to 2016 — Data Tables). Due to changes in data collection, caution is advised when comparing the data across all years.
For example, in 2013, 1,300 dental assistants were registered in Saskatchewan. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of dental assistants reported includes only those who were active registered, resulting in the reporting of smaller counts than in previous years (1,132 in 2014; 1,139 in 2015; and 1,162 in 2016).
Unregulated professionsSome health professions are not regulated in some jurisdictions. As a result, the number of health care providers may be under-counted.
Data availabilitySee Appendix D for a detailed breakdown of regulation status and data availability by health care provider group, by jurisdiction. This appendix provides contextual information on why and when data is not available, as well as when there is a true 0 value in certain cases where a health care profession is regulated in the jurisdiction but there are 0 health care providers to report on.
Data on registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) for the territories includes only Yukon for the years 2009 to 2016 (excluding 2014).
Data on licensed practical nurses (LPNs) for the territories includes Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut only for the years 2011 to 2016.
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Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
SupplyParamedics
CIHI and paramedic data providers are in the process of reviewing the comparability of supply data and continue to work toward improving data standards and data collection methodologies.
DemographicSex: Female
Where possible, data is included on the proportion of females in a given health profession, by jurisdiction.
EducationMedical radiation technologists: Initial certification discipline
MRT initial certification data from 2007 to 2015 does not add up to the overall MRT counts due to different data collection methodologies; during this period, CIHI collected record-level data. Since 2016, CIHI has collected aggregate-level data for MRTs. Due to the varying data sources, caution is advised when comparing data from 2007 to 2015 with 2016 data.
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
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Appendix A: List of health care providers, first year of regulation and regulation status, by jurisdictionHealth care provider group N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun.Audiologists 2013 NR NR 1987 1964 1994 1961 1992 2002 2010 NR NR NR
Chiropractors 1992 1962 1972 1958 1974 1925 1945 1943 1923 1934 1986 NR NR
Dental assistants 1995 1998 1976 1987 NR NR 2007 1971 1990 1968 NR NR NR
Dental hygienists 1969 1974 1973 1950 1975 1951 1952 1950 1990 1952 1958 1990 1999
Dentists 1893 1891 1891 1890 1869 1867 1883 1906 1906 1886 1958 1988 1999
Dietitians 1965 1994 1998 1988 1956 1994 1982 1958 2000 2004 NR NR NR
Environmental public health professionals
NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR
Genetic counsellors
NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR
Health information management professionals
NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR
Licensed practical nurses
1983 1959 1957 1960 1974 1947 1946 1956 1986 1988 1987 1988 2011
Medical laboratory technologists
2012 NR 2004 1992 1973 1994 2007 1996 2002 NR NR NR NR
Medical physicists NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR
Medical radiation technologists
NR NR 1967 1958 1973 1980 NR 1978 1986 NR NR NR NR
Midwives 2016 NR 2009 2010 1999 1994 2000 2008 1994 1998 NR 2005 2011
Nurse practitioners
1997 2006 2002 2002 2003 1997 2005 2003 2002 2005 2013 2004 2004
Occupational therapists
1987 1976 1972 1997 1973 1993 1971 1971 1990 2000 NR NR NR
Opticians 1982 1974 2005 1976 1973 1991 1953 2011 1965 2010 NR NR NR
Optometrists 1928 1922 1921 1921 1909 1919 1909 1911 1920 1921 1959 1988 1999
Paramedics 2010 1972 2005 2006 2011 1968 1984 2009 2008 1974 NR NR NR
Pharmacists 1910 1905 1876 1884 1875 1871 1878 1911 1911 1891 1986 1953 1999
Pharmacy technicians
2015 2014 2013 2014 NR 2010 2014 NR 2011 2011 NR NR NR
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Health care provider group N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun.Physician assistants
NR NR NR 2009 NR NR 1999 2014 NR NR NR NR NR
Physicians 1893 1871 1828 1816 1848 1795 1871 1885 1885 1867 1958 1885 1999
Physiotherapists 1970 1973 1959 1960 1973 1953 1956 1945 1985 1946 2007 NR NR
Psychologists 1988 1991 1981 1967 1962 1960 1966 1997 1960 1977 NR 1988 1999
Registered nurses 1954 1949 1910 1916 1946 1922 1913 1967 1916 1918 1994 1973 1999
Registered psychiatric nurses
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1960 1948 1955 1951 2009 n/a n/a
Respiratory therapists
2012 NR 2007 2009 1985 1991 1981 2008 1988 NR NR NR NR
Social workers 1994 1988 1994 1989 1960 2000 2009 1995 2003 2008 NR 2012 NR
Speech–language pathologists
2013 NR NR 1987 1964 1994 1961 1992 2002 2010 NR NR NR
NotesNR: Not regulated as of 2016. n/a: Not applicable.SourceHealth Workforce Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.
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Appendix B: Population estimates, by jurisdiction, 2007 to 2016Year N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun. Canada2007 509,039 137,721 935,071 745,407 7,692,736 12,764,195 1,189,366 1,002,048 3,514,031 4,290,988 32,557 43,374 31,395 32,887,928
2008 511,543 138,764 935,865 746,855 7,761,504 12,882,625 1,197,774 1,017,346 3,595,755 4,349,412 33,088 43,350 31,892 33,245,773
2009 516,729 139,909 938,194 749,954 7,843,475 12,997,687 1,208,589 1,034,782 3,679,092 4,410,679 33,732 43,149 32,600 33,628,571
2010 521,972 141,678 942,073 753,044 7,929,365 13,135,063 1,220,930 1,051,425 3,732,573 4,465,924 34,596 43,278 33,353 34,005,274
2011 525,037 144,038 944,469 755,530 8,007,656 13,263,544 1,233,728 1,066,349 3,790,191 4,499,139 35,402 43,501 34,196 34,342,780
2012 526,895 145,259 944,835 756,836 8,084,768 13,409,558 1,250,406 1,087,223 3,888,552 4,542,578 36,189 43,648 34,729 34,751,476
2013 528,017 145,441 942,930 755,718 8,154,761 13,551,004 1,265,342 1,106,122 4,007,748 4,582,607 36,429 43,884 35,435 35,155,438
2014 529,069 146,162 942,668 754,578 8,214,885 13,677,687 1,280,242 1,122,283 4,120,897 4,638,415 36,990 43,980 36,083 35,543,939
2015 527,756 146,447 943,002 753,871 8,263,600 13,792,052 1,293,378 1,133,637 4,196,457 4,683,139 37,428 44,088 36,919 35,851,774
2016 527,756 146,447 943,002 753,871 8,263,600 13,792,052 1,293,378 1,133,637 4,196,457 4,683,139 37,428 44,088 36,919 35,851,774
Source Statistics Canada. Table 051-0001: Estimates of population, by age group and sex for July 1, Canada, provinces and territories, annual (persons unless otherwise noted). CANSIM (database). Accessed February 18, 2016.
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Appendix C: List of HWDB data providersAudiologistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals
Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, all territories
Speech-Language & Audiology Canada
New Brunswick New Brunswick Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Quebec Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec
Ontario College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
Manitoba College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Alberta Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
British Columbia College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of British Columbia
ChiropractorsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Association
Prince Edward Island Council of the Prince Edward Island Chiropractic Association
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia College of Chiropractors
New Brunswick New Brunswick Chiropractors Association
Quebec Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec
Ontario College of Chiropractors of Ontario
Manitoba Manitoba Chiropractors Association
Saskatchewan Chiropractors’ Association of Saskatchewan
Alberta Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors
British Columbia College of Chiropractors of British Columbia
Yukon Department of Community Services, Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories and Nunavut n/a
Dental assistantsPrince Edward Island Dental Council of Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
Canadian Dental Assistants Association
Quebec Association des assistant(e)s dentaires du Québec
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Dental hygienists Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Dental Hygienists’ Association
Nova Scotia College of Dental Hygienists of Nova Scotia
New Brunswick New Brunswick College of Dental Hygienists
Quebec Ordre des hygiénistes dentaires du Québec
Ontario College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario
Manitoba College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Dental Hygienists Association
Alberta Canadian Dental Hygienists Association
British Columbia College of Dental Hygienists of British Columbia
Yukon Department of Community Services, Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut Department of Health, Government of Nunavut
Dentists All provinces Canadian Dental Association
Yukon Department of Community Services, Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut Department of Health, Government of Nunavut
Dietitians Prince Edward Island PEI Dietitians Registration Board
All provinces except Prince Edward Island
Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies
All territories Dietitians of Canada
Environmental public health professionalsAll provinces and territories Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors
Genetic counsellors All provinces and territories Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors
Health information management professionalsAll provinces and territories Canadian Health Information Management Association
Licensed practical nursesNewfoundland and Labrador College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Licensed Practical Nurses Registration Board
Nova Scotia College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia
New Brunswick Association of New Brunswick Licensed Practical Nurses
Quebec Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers auxiliaires du Québec
Ontario College of Nurses of Ontario
Manitoba College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba
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Licensed practical nurses (cont’d)Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses
Alberta College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta
British Columbia College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia
Yukon Department of Community Services, Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut n/a
Medical laboratory technologistsAll provinces and territories Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science
Medical physicistsAll provinces Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists
All territories n/a
Medical radiation technologistsNewfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, all territories
Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists
Quebec Ordre des technologues en imagerie médicale, en radio-oncologie et en électrophysiologie médicale du Québec
Ontario College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario
Manitoba Manitoba Association of Medical Radiation Technologists
Alberta Alberta College of Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists
MidwivesNewfoundland and Labrador n/a
Prince Edward Island Canadian Association of Midwives
Nova Scotia Midwifery Regulatory Council of Nova Scotia
New Brunswick Department of Health, Government of New Brunswick
Quebec Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec
Ontario College of Midwives of Ontario
Manitoba College of Midwives of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan College of Midwives
Alberta College of Midwives of Alberta
British Columbia College of Midwives of British Columbia
Yukon Community Midwifery Association of Yukon
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut Department of Health, Government of Nunavut
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
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Occupational therapistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland & Labrador Occupational Therapy Board
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Occupational Therapists Registration Board
Nova Scotia College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia
New Brunswick New Brunswick Association of Occupational Therapists
Quebec Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec
Ontario College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
Manitoba College of Occupational Therapists of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Society of Occupational Therapists
Alberta Alberta College of Occupational Therapists
British Columbia College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia
All territories Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
OpticiansAll provinces Opticians Association of Canada
All territories n/a
Optometrists All provinces Canadian Association of Optometrists
Yukon Department of Community Services, Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut Department of Health, Government of Nunavut
ParamedicsNewfoundland and Labrador Eastern Health, Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island Emergency Medical Services Board, Health PEI
Nova Scotia Emergency Health Services, Department of Health and Wellness, Government of Nova Scotia
New Brunswick Paramedic Association of New Brunswick
Quebec Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, Government of Quebec
Ontario Emergency Health Services Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Government of Ontario
Manitoba Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living, Government of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan College of Paramedics
Alberta Alberta College of Paramedics
British Columbia Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board, Ministry of Health, Government of British Columbia
All territories n/a
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PharmacistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland & Labrador Pharmacy Board
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island College of Pharmacists
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists
New Brunswick New Brunswick College of Pharmacists
Quebec National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
Ontario Ontario College of Pharmacists
Manitoba College of Pharmacists of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals
Alberta Alberta College of Pharmacists
British Columbia College of Pharmacists of British Columbia
Yukon Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
Pharmacy techniciansAll provinces National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
All territories n/a
Physician assistantsAll provinces and the Northwest Territories
Canadian Association of Physician Assistants
Yukon and Nunavut n/a
PhysiciansAll provinces and territories Scott’s Medical Database
PhysiotherapistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador College of Physiotherapists
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island College of Physiotherapists
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia College of Physiotherapists
New Brunswick College of Physiotherapists of New Brunswick
Quebec Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec
Ontario College of Physiotherapists of Ontario
Manitoba College of Physiotherapists of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan College of Physical Therapists
Alberta Physiotherapy Alberta — College + Association
British Columbia College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia
Yukon Government of Yukon
Northwest Territories and Nunavut n/a
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
35
PsychologistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Psychology Board
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Psychologists Registration Board
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology
New Brunswick College of Psychologists of New Brunswick
Quebec Ordre des psychologues du Québec
Ontario College of Psychologists of Ontario
Manitoba Psychological Association of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan College of Psychologists
Alberta College of Alberta Psychologists
British Columbia College of Psychologists of British Columbia
Yukon n/a
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Nunavut Department of Health, Government of Nunavut
Registered nurses/nurse practitionersNewfoundland and Labrador Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island Association of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia
New Brunswick Nurses Association of New Brunswick
Quebec Ordre des infirmières et des infirmiers du Québec
Ontario College of Nurses of Ontario
Manitoba College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association
Alberta College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta
British Columbia College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia
Yukon Yukon Registered Nurses Association
Northwest Territories and Nunavut Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Registered psychiatric nurses*Manitoba College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan
Alberta College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta
British Columbia College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia
Yukon Government of Yukon
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Respiratory therapistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals
Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, British Columbia, all territories
Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia College of Respiratory Therapists
New Brunswick New Brunswick Association of Respiratory Therapists
Quebec Ordre professionnel des inhalothérapeutes du Québec
Ontario College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan College of Respiratory Therapists
Alberta College and Association of Respiratory Therapists of Alberta
Social workersNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Social Workers
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Social Work Registration Board
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon, Nunavut
Canadian Association of Social Workers
Manitoba Manitoba College of Social Workers
Alberta Alberta College of Social Workers
Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories
Speech–language pathologistsNewfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals
Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, all territories
Speech-Language & Audiology Canada
New Brunswick New Brunswick Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Quebec Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec
Ontario College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario
Manitoba College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Manitoba
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Alberta Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
British Columbia College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of British Columbia
Note* Registered psychiatric nurses are currently regulated in the 4 Western provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta,
British Columbia) and Yukon.SourceHealth Workforce Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.
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Appendix D: CIHI data availability by health care provider and by jurisdiction, 2014 to 2016Health care provider group Year N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun.Audiologists 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Chiropractors 2014 No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No
2015 No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Dental assistants 2014 No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2015 No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2016 Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Dental hygienists 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dentists 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dietitians 2014 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2015 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2016 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Environmental public health professionals
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
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Health care provider group Year N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun.Genetic counsellors 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Health information management professionals
2014 No No No No No No No No No No No No No
2015 No No No No No No No No No No No No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Licensed practical nurses
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Medical laboratory technologists
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Medical physicists 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Medical radiation technologists
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Midwives 2014 No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Occupational therapists
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
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Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
Health care provider group Year N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun.Opticians 2014 No No No No No No No No No No No No No
2015 No No No No No No No No No No No No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Optometrists 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Paramedics 2014 No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2015 No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
2016 No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Pharmacists 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pharmacy technicians 2014 No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No No No
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
Physician assistants 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Physicians 2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Physiotherapists 2014 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Psychologists 2014 Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No
2015 Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No
2016 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
40
Health care provider group Year N.L. P.E.I. N.S. N.B. Que. Ont. Man. Sask. Alta. B.C. Y.T. N.W.T. Nun.Registered nurses/nurse practitioners
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Registered psychiatric nurses
2014 No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
2015 No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2016 No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Respiratory therapists
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Social workers 2014 Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
2015 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
2016 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Speech–language pathologists
2014 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2015 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
2016 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
SourceHealth Workforce Database, Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Health Workforce Database, 2016: Methodology Guide
41
References1. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. Occupational therapy — Definition.
Accessed October 31, 2016.
2. McNiven C, Puderer H, Janes D. Census Metropolitan Area and Census Agglomeration Influenced Zones (MIZ): A Description of the Methodology. 2000.
3. du Plessis V, et al.; Statistics Canada; Clemenson H; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Definitions of rural. Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin. November 2001.
4. Canadian Institute for Health Information. Supply and Distribution of Registered Nurses in Rural and Small Town Canada, 2000. 2002.
5. World Health Organization. National Health Workforce Accounts: A Handbook. 2016.
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