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CONTEXTE: Les caracteristiques des patients, les soins cliniques, l'utilisation des ressources et les issues cliniques des personnes atteintes de la maladie a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalisees au Canada ne sont pas bien connus. METHODES: Nous avons recueilli des donnees sur tous les adultes hospitalises atteints de la COVID-19 ou de l'influenza ayant obtenu leur conge d'unites medicales ou d'unites de soins intensifs medicaux et chirurgicaux entre le 1er novembre 2019 et le 30 juin 2020 dans 7 centres hospitaliers de Toronto et de Mississauga (Ontario). Nous avons compare les issues cliniques des patients a l'aide de modeles de regression multivariee, en tenant compte des facteurs sociodemographiques et de l'intensite des comorbidites. Nous avons valide le degre d'exactitude de 7 scores de risque mis au point a l'externe pour determiner leur capacite a predire le risque de deces chez les patients atteints de la COVID-19. RESULTATS: Parmi les hospitalisations retenues, 1027 patients etaient atteints de la COVID-19 (age median de 65 ans, 59,1% d'hommes) et 783 etaient atteints de l'influenza (age median de 68 ans, 50,8% d'hommes). Les patients ages de moins de 50 ans comptaient pour 21,2% de toutes les hospitalisations dues a la COVID-19 et 24,0% des sejours aux soins intensifs. Com pa rativement aux patients atteints de l'influenza, les patients atteints de la COVID-19 presentaient un taux de mortalite perhospitaliere (mortalite non ajustee 19,9% c. 6,1%; risque relatif [RR] ajuste 3,46%, intervalle de confiance [IC] a 95% 2,56-4,68) et un taux d'utilisation des ressources des unites de soins intensifs (taux non ajuste 26,4% c. 18,0%; RR ajuste 1,50, IC a 95% 1,25-1,80) significativemen t plus eleves, ainsi qu'une duree d'hospitalisation (duree mediane non ajustee 8,7 jours c. 4,8 jours; rapport des taux d'incidence ajuste 1,45; IC a 95% 1,25-1,69) significativement plus longue. Le taux de rehospitalisation dans les 30 jours n'etait pas significativement different (taux non ajuste 9,3% c. 9,6%; RR ajuste 0,98%, IC a 95% 0,70-1,39). Trois scores de risque utilisant un pointage pour predire la mortalite perhospitaliere ont montre une bonne discrimination (aire sous la courbe [ASC] de la fonction d'efficacite du recepteur [ROC] 0,72-0,81) et une bonne calibration. INTERPRETATION: Durant la premiere vague de la pandemie, l'hospitalisation des patients atteints de la COVID-19 etait associee a des taux de mortalite et d'utilisation des ressources des unites de soins intensifs et a une duree d'hospitalisation significativement plus importants que les hospitalisations des patients atteints de l'influenza. De simples scores de risque peuvent predire avec une bonne exactitude le risque de mortalite perhospitaliere des patients atteints de la COVID-19., Des etudes internationales ont rapporte que les patients hospitalises en raison de la maladie a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) presentaient des taux eleves de maladie grave et de mortalite (1-5). Deux [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed weaknesses in global manufacturing and distribution of medications, exacerbating many pre-existing limitations and inequities in drug supply and creating new shortages. (1-3) Supply chains have [...]

BACKGROUND: Patient characteristics, clinical care, resource use and outcomes associated with admission to hospital for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Canada are not well described. METHODS: We described all adults with COVID-19 or influenza discharged from inpatient medical services and medical-surgical intensive care units (ICUs) between Nov. 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, at 7 hospitals in Toronto and Mississauga, Ontario. We compared patient outcomes using multivariable regression models, controlling for patient sociodemographic factors and comorbidity level. We validated the accuracy of 7 externally developed risk scores to predict mortality among patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: There were 1027 hospital admissions with COVID-19 (median age 65 yr, 59.1% male) and 783 with influenza (median age 68 yr, 50.8% male). Patients younger than 50 years accounted for 21.2% of all admissions for COVID-19 and 24.0% of ICU admissions. Compared with influenza, patients with COVID-19 had significantly greater in-hospital mortality (unadjusted 19.9% v. 6.1%, adjusted relative risk [RR] 3.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.56-4.68), ICU use (unadjusted 26.4% v. 18.0%, adjusted RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.25-1.80) and hospital length of stay (unadjusted median 8.7 d v. 4.8 d, adjusted rate ratio 1.45, 95% CI 1.25-1.69). Thirty-day readmission was not significantly different (unadjusted 9.3% v. 9.6%, adjusted RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.70-1.39). Three points-based risk scores for predicting in-hospital mortality showed good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] ranging from 0.72 to 0.81) and calibration. INTERPRETATION: During the first wave of the pandemic, admission to hospital for COVID-19 was associated with significantly greater mortality, ICU use and hospital length of stay than influenza. Simple risk scores can predict in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19 with good accuracy., International studies report that patients admitted to hospital with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have high rates of critical illness and mortality. (1-5) Two small Canadian case series have described care [...]

BACKGROUND: Timely follow-up after hospital discharge may decrease readmission to hospital. Financial incentives to improve follow-up have been introduced in the United States and Canada, but it is unknown whether they are effective. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of an incentive program on timely physician follow-up after hospital discharge. METHODS: We conducted an interventional time series analysis of all medical and surgical patients who were discharged home from hospital between Apr. 1, 2002, and Jan. 30, 2015, in Ontario, Canada. The intervention was a supplemental billing code for physician follow-up within 14 days of discharge from hospital, introduced in 2006. The primary outcome was an outpatient visit within 14 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes were 7-day follow-up and a composite of emergency department visits, nonelective hospital readmission and death within 14 days. RESULTS: We included 8 008934 patient discharge records. The incentive code was claimed in 31% of eligible visits by 51% of eligible physicians, and cost $17.5 million over the study period. There was no change in the average monthly rate of outcomes in the year before the incentive was introduced compared with the year following introduction: 14-day follow-up (66.5% v. 67.0%, overall p = 0.5), 7-day follow-up (44.9% v. 44.9%, overall p = 0.5) and composite outcome (16.7% v. 16.9%, overall p = 0.2). INTERPRETATION: Despite uptake by physicians, a financial incentive did not alter follow-up after hospital discharge. This lack of effect may be explained by features of the incentive or by extra-physician barriers to follow-up. These barriers should be considered by policymakers before introducing similar initiatives., Readmissions after hospital discharge are common, occurring for about 14% of patients in the United States at 30 days after discharge and costing $41 billion annually. (1) How much hospital [...]

What is the cost of an adverse event? This question, which now underpins many quality improvement efforts, initially interested only medical tort litigators and their clients. In 1991, the Harvard [...]