Interprovincial data requirements for local health indicators: the British Columbia experience

Indicators based on the registration of vital events are used to determine the health status of populations. The need for these indicators at the regional and community levels has grown with the trend toward decentralization in the delivery of health services. Such indicators are important because they affect funding and the types of service that are provided. Health status indicators tend to be associated with variables such as the level of urbanization or socioeconomic status. According to four indicators-mortality ratios for all causes of death, mortality ratios for external causes of death, infant mortality ratios, and low birth weight live birth ratios-some areas of British Columbia, specifically along the border with Alberta, have relatively good health, although the characteristics of these regions suggest that this should not be the case. However, a much different picture emerges when vital event data registered in Alberta for residents of these areas of British Columbia are considered. This article shows that for adequate health planning and program implementation, some communities need data from neighbouring provinces. It illustrates the effect of incorporating Alberta data into the development of health status indicators for British Columbia. It also suggests that similar adjustments may be necessary for data compiled in other provinces.