Fast Facts

Chronic Disease Management

FACT: In NSM 76% of residents (approximately 285,000 people) age 12 years and older reported having at least one chronic condition.

Chronic disease is a major cost pressure in North Simcoe Muskoka. Provincially, the Ministry of Health estimates that chronic disease accounts for 55% of all indirect and direct health care costs. Of the 422,175 residents in NSM LHIN, 76% aged 12 years and older reported having at least one chronic condition and 38% or almost 4 in 10 residents had cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, asthma, COPD or arthritis.[1]Nearly half of residents aged 65+ have two or more chronic conditions.

The presence of multiple chronic conditions increases an individual’s total burden of illness as well as the burden on the health care system, as these individuals tend to have longer hospital stays, greater associated health care costs, increased hospital mortality and higher rates of readmission

In NSM, the prevalence of diabetes in 2007 was identified at 6.8% of residents (nearly 25,000 people) over 12 years of age, compared to Ontario at 6.1%. and a 16.5% (5,760) prevalence of diabetes in residents 65-74 years of age.[2]

NSM LHIN has 6 Diabetes Education Centres that work closely with the hospitals in their areas. Additionally there is a diabetes management program at the Barrie Community Health Centre and all 6 Family Health Teams in the LHIN have diabetes programs. 

The local health integration network is working with our community partners to improve access to diabetes care to help people be better supported in the self-management of their diabetes.

Provincial Context

Approximately 900,000 Ontarians live with diabetes.  Each year, approximately 23,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes.  Annually, 165,000 visits are made to emergency departments in association with diabetes. Treatment for diabetes and related conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease currently cost Ontario over $5 billion each year.  Over the past decade, the number of Ontarians with diabetes has increased by 69%.

The Ontario Diabetes Strategy will help prevent, manage and treat diabetes, and will enable better self-care through greater access to information, education and tools.

On an annual basis, the Strategy aims to prevent:

• 88 individuals from blindness
• 322 heart attacks
•  473 lower limb amputations, and
• $300 Million in hospital expenditures