The Ontario Ministry of Health and IHPME are bringing real-time evaluation to policies that shape access to healthcare for Ontarians, especially those facing obstacles in getting the care they need.

Ontario’s health system is changing rapidly, and not all communities experience those changes equally: while some communities see real gains in access to health services, others continue to face barriers to basic care. Through the Partnerships for Evaluation and Policy Research (PEPR), researchers at the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) are running rigorous, real-time evaluations of priority policies that inform the Ontario Ministry of Health’s (MOH) decisions. This partnership’s joint work points to specific policy changes that can widen access in high-need communities, ease pressure on overstretched health services, and push the system toward greater equity.

The partnership launched in 2022 out of a shared recognition that Ontario’s fast-moving health system requires equally responsive, evidence-backed decision-making. For a Ministry focused on improving access to care and health outcomes across the province, PEPR’s role is to test whether new policies are doing what they are supposed to do, grounding those policy choices in real-world data.

“This collaboration gives us the rare opportunity to evaluate policies as they unfold and to ensure their impacts are equitable and effective. The value of PEPR is in bringing rigorous analysis to issues that shape people’s everyday access to care, and in doing that work alongside a partner that is deeply invested in improving outcomes for all Ontarians.”

– Alex Hoagland, Assistant Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

Recent work within this partnership includes an evaluation of the impact of expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice, a review on homelessness and physical well-being, and a study on how economic volatility impacts public health and resilience. Taken together, PEPR’s interconnected studies highlight how structural vulnerabilities shape who gets care and with what outcomes, equipping policymakers with timely insights into what vulnerable populations are facing.

As the partnership evolves, it is building an evidence base that directly strengthens MOH’s ability to serve Ontarians, particularly those most at risk of falling through gaps in the system.