Vancouver -- As Canada's premiers meet in Victoria to discuss different approaches to health system reform, a new study raises serious concerns about "Activity Based Funding" (ABF), a new funding model that pays hospitals based on the number of surgeries they perform.

ABF has been introduced in B.C. and is being considered in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario. However, research evidence from the U.S., U.K. and Europe shows that ABF's narrow focus on increasing "activity" in one part of the health-care system does not address the system-level changes needed to control health-care costs and improve patient care.