Cancer Quality Council of Ontario

The Cancer Quality Council of Ontario (CQCO) advises on improving the quality of cancer care in the province by tracking and publicly reporting on cancer system performance. 

International expertise and advice are used to make recommendations for targeted quality improvement and provide international comparisons and benchmarking so Ontario can learn from other jurisdictions.

The goal is to improve cancer services in Ontario by:

  • reducing the incidence of cancer
  • improving cancer treatment and survival
  • improving cancer patient satisfaction
  • evolving and developing new quality indicators

Mandate

Established in 2002 as one of Canada’s first health councils, our mandate is to:

  • monitor and report publicly on cancer system performance in Ontario
  • recommend targeted quality improvement to the Minister of Health through Ontario Health’s Board of Directors

Our mandate expanded in 2009 to include international comparisons. We help benchmark the quality of Ontario’s cancer system performance against national and international leaders by:

  • reviewing quality gaps and performance issues 
  • providing policy advice 
  • comparing performance metrics

Work

We conduct our work through the delivery of various activities:

  • Quality and Innovation Awards – Recognizes and promotes front-line quality improvement and innovation.
  • Cancer System Quality Index (CSQI) – Measures cancer system performance across Ontario.
Last Updated: October 11, 2023