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Objectives: Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency. There is a paucity of information on whether quality improvement approaches reduce the in-hospital sepsis caseload or save lives and decrease the healthcare system and society's cost at the provincial/national levels. This study aimed to assess the outcomes and economic impact of a province-wide quality improvement initiative in Canada.Design: Retrospective population-based study with interrupted time series and return on investment analyses.Setting: The sepsis cases and deaths averted over time for British Columbia were calculated and compared with the rest of Canada (excluding Quebec and three territories).Patients: Aggregate data were obtained from the Canadian Institute for Health Information on risk-adjusted in-hospital sepsis rates and sepsis mortality in acute care sites across Canada.Interventions: In 2012, the British Columbia Sepsis Network was formed to reduce sepsis occurrence and mortality through education, knowledge translation, and quality improvement.Measurements and Main Results: A return on investment analysis compared the financial investment for the British Columbia Sepsis Network with the savings from averted sepsis occurrence and mortality. An estimated 981 sepsis cases and 172 deaths were averted in the post-British Columbia Sepsis Network period (2014-2018). The total cost, including the development and implementation of British Columbia Sepsis Network, was $449,962. Net savings due to cases averted after program costs were considered were $50.6 million in 2018. This translates into a return of $112.5 for every dollar invested.Conclusions: British Columbia Sepsis Network appears to have averted a greater number of sepsis cases and deaths in British Columbia than the national average and yielded a positive return on investment. Our findings strengthen the policy argument for targeted quality improvement initiatives for sepsis care and provide a model of care for other provinces in Canada and elsewhere globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil sands, as unconventional oil, are so essential to both Canada and the world that special attention should be paid to their extraction status, especially their energy efficiency. One of the most commonly used methods to evaluate energy efficiency is the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) analysis. This paper focuses on EROI analysis for both in situ oil sands and mining oil sands over the period of 2009 to 2015. This time period represents an extension to periods previously considered by other analyses. An extended Input-Output model is used to quantify indirect energy input, which has been ignored by previous analyses of oil sands extraction. Results of this paper show that EROI of both mining oil sands (range of value: 3.9–8) and in situ oil sands (range of value: 3.2–5.4) display an upward trend over the past 7 years; EROI of mining oil sands is generally higher, but is more fluctuating than the EROI of in situ oil sands. Compared with EROI of other hydrocarbons, the EROI of oil sands is still quite low, despite the fact that it is increasing gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proactive geriatric trauma consultation service (GTCS) models have been associated with better delivery of geriatric care and functional outcomes. Whether such collaborative models can be improved and sustained remains uncertain. We describe the sustainability and process improvements of an inpatient GTCS.Methods: We assessed workflow using interviews and surveys to identify opportunities to optimize the referral process for the GTCS. Sustainability of the service was assessed via a prospective case series (July 2012-December 2013). Study data were derived from a review of the medical record and trauma registry database. Metrics to determine sustainability included volume of cases, staffing levels, rate of adherence to recommendations, geriatric-specific clinical outcomes, trauma quality indicators, consultation requests and discharge destination.Results: Through process changes, we were able to ensure every eligible patient was referred for a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Compared with the implementation phase, volume of assessments increased and recommendation adherence rates were maintained. Delirium and/or dementia were the most common geriatric issue addressed. The rate of adherence to recommendations made by the GTCS team was 88.2%. Only 1.4% of patients were discharged to a nursing home.Conclusion: Workflow assessment is a useful means to optimize the referral process for comprehensive geriatric assessment. Sustainability of a GTCS was shown by volume, staffing and recommendation adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the realized and projected rates of return for contributors to the Canada Pension Plan from 1968 to 2056. For this purpose, a representative agent was constituted. A steady decline in returns was observed in which the rates of return for the first generation of contributors were markedly higher than those of subsequent generations, primarily on the account of modalities for establishing benefits. The higher contribution rates for subsequent generations also played a role in the lower rates of return observed, but this factor is actually not as important as commonly believed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern economies are dependent on fossil energy, yet as conventional resources are depleted, an increasing fraction of that energy is coming from unconventional resources such as tar sands. These resources usually require more energy for extraction and upgrading, leaving a smaller fraction available to society, and at a higher cost. Here we present a calculation of the energy return on investment (EROI) for all Canadian oil and gas (including tar sands) over the period 1990-2008, and also for tar sands alone (1994-2008). We used energy production and energy use data from Statistics Canada's Material and Energy Flow Accounts (MEFA). We were able to quantify both direct and indirect energy use, the latter from Statistics Canada's energy input-output model. We found that since the mid-1990s, total energy used (invested) in the Canadian oil and gas sector increased about 63%, while the energy production (return) increased only 18%, resulting in a decrease in total EROI from roughly 16:1 to 11:1. We also found (although with less certainty) that the EROI for tar sands alone has fluctuated around 4:1 since 1994, with only a slight increasing trend. Finally, we analyzed underlying factors possibly influencing these trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study traces the evolution of the returns to education for young Canadians, classified by very detailed education groups, gender, and province from 1990 to 2005, using large samples from the analytical census files. We find that the growth of returns for higher education for young adults (ages 21–35), especially for women, is much larger than that for the full working-age population (ages 16–65) usually selected in other studies. We also find considerable heterogeneity in the returns across provinces and gender, in particular for education levels lower than university. Finally, we find that the returns to potential experience have considerably increased for both genders from 1990 to 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the extent of the impact that direct tax subsidies (the 'push' effect) and the competitiveness of the production tax system (the 'pull' effect) have on research and development. A panel dataset of nine countries over nineteen years is used to estimate a dynamic fixed effects model of aggregate R&D. Both effects are significant and economically important. The short-run elasticity of R&D with respect to the push effect ranges from -0.12 to -0.22, while the long-run elasticity ranges from -0.46 to -0.83; the short-run elasticity of the pull effect ranges from -0.15 to -0.28, while the long-run elasticity ranges from -0.58 to -0.83. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the methods implemented which are utilized to assess return on investment for health research in Canada. These were the top-down econometric calculation which evaluates the contributions of health research in enhancing life expectancy and quality of life and payback model which records outcomes of health research. It presents the different issues that poses challenges in measuring return on investments in health research, including failure to determine the benefits offered by health research, efficiently assessing impacts and identification of impacts to be measured. Information on the method developed by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences to enhance impact evaluation of health research is also provided.

Background: Determining financial value of educational programs is an important vehicle for demonstrating accountability and responsibility to stakeholders. Several methods of estimating financial value and economic impact of educational programs have been proposed, including the throughput value model, the benefit cost ratio (BCR), and the return on investment (ROI) model. Objectives: To estimate the financial value of a bridging education program for internationally educated pharmacists seeking licensure in Canada. Methods: Three separate studies were undertaken utilizing the Throughput Value Model, the BCR and the ROI model. Results: All three models estimated positive benefits for students involved in bridging education in pharmacy. The Throughput Value Model estimated positive in each of years 1, 5 and 15, following completion of the program. The BCR model and the ROI models both estimated values of greater than 1, indicating positive financial returns from bridging education in pharmacy. Conclusions: While certain methodological limitations are inherent in estimating financial value of educational programs, all three studies were positive, highlighting the economic importance of bridging education. While financial value is one measure of success, other humanistic and social justice outcomes must also be considered when evaluating overall objectives of any educational program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology is developed for estimating the number of waste sorts for characterizing solid wastes into categories based on diminishing minimum incremental information. Convergence in the square of the coefficient of variation with successive waste sorts is used to indicate cost-efficient termination of sampling at substantially reduced numbers of sorts in comparison with existing methodologies. These findings indicate that the numbers of waste sorts beyond that determined using the proposed methodology do not add substantial marginal gains in information and/or reduction in the confidence interval of the estimate. The methodology is demonstrated using waste composition analyses from the Greater Vancouver Regional District where 22 waste sorts are examined. The proposed methodology is simple, and the number of waste sorts can be estimated with a hand-held calculator and utilized in the field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An analytical model was developed to explore prospective costs and risks of alternative testing strategies for a marketing system in Canada which markets both genetically modified (GM) and Non-GM wheats. The problem is solved using stochastic optimization, base case results are defined, and sensitivities conducted to evaluate impacts of selected variables. Added costs include: testing, rejection, and a risk premium which is required for handlers to be indifferent between the current and the proposed dual system. Protocols would require testing at the point of loading at the primary elevator, and export elevator, and supplementing this information with some form of grower variety declaration. There are several sources of inherent risks in such a system. For buyers, the cumulative impact of these is the risk of receiving GM content in a Non-GM shipment. For sellers, it is the risk of having a Non-GM shipment rejected. For sellers, the risk of rejection was typically less than 2%, and for buyers, the risk was typically less than 0.02%. Nous avons élaboré un modèle analytique pour explorer les coûts et les risques potentiels de la mise en place de nouvelles stratégies pour analyser le grain si le Canada décidait de commercialiser du blé génétiquement modifié (GM) et du blé non génétiquement modifié (NGM). Le problème est résolu à l'aide d'une optimisation stochastique; des scénarios de référence sont définis et des tests de sensitivité sont effectués pour évaluer l'impact de variables sélectionnées. Les coûts supplémentaires comprennent les coûts d'analyses, les coûts liés au rejet ainsi qu'une prime de risque exigée pour que les manutentionnaires demeurent indifférents entre le système actuel et le système double proposé. Les protocoles obligeraient la tenue d'analyses au point de chargement du silo primaire ainsi qu'au silo terminal, auxquelles s'ajouterait une certaine forme de déclaration du céréaliculteur sur la variété. Ce genre de système comporte plusieurs sources de risques inhérents. Pour les acheteurs, l'impact cumulatif est le risque de recevoir un chargement de blé NGM contenant du blé GM. Pour les vendeurs, c'est le risque qu'un chargement de blé NGM soit rejeté. Pour les vendeurs, le risque de rejet était généralement inférieur à 2%, et pour les acheteurs, le risque était généralement inférieur à 0.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homeownership has been one of the best long-term investments in Canada. Despite demographic, economic and social trends that would normally be associated with relatively stagnant trends in housing prices, investment in housing continues to provide owners in most areas of the country with attractive rates of return. However, national trends hide considerable variation. Not all regions, or all groups in society, have been able to capitalize on the wealth associated with increases in housing prices. Many real estate analysts are also concerned that the appreciation in prices over the past couple of decades is not a trend that will continue in the future. There is cautious optimism, but owning a home in the future is unlikely to be the valued investment it was for many in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of the academic program in the incidence, persistence, and economic returns to overqualification among recent Canadian post-secondary graduates. Master’s graduates are far more prone to overqualification than other graduates. Overqualification rates vary considerably by major field of study at the college and bachelor’s levels, but not at the master’s level. Graduates who are overqualified shortly after entering the workforce are far more likely to remain overqualified in the following years. Weak evidence suggests that co-op graduates are less likely to be overqualified at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, but not at the college level (where co-op programs are more popular). There is a strong, negative earnings effect associated with overqualification at the college and bachelor’s levels, most of which dissipates after accounting for unobserved heterogeneity in a longitudinal framework. There is little or no earnings effect at the master’s and doctoral levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Inventors, who are considering the commercialization of their inventions, can often avail themselves of evaluations and advice provided by government supported programs. In Canada, such a service is provided by the Canadian Industrial Innovation Centre (CIIC), through its inventor's assistance program (IAP). In its 20 years of operation, the IAP has evaluated more than 11,000 inventions. The fee (in Canadian [Cdn.] dollars) charged for an invention evaluation was Cdn. $262 in 1995, and these fees cover about half the program's expenses. We compute the social rate of return of the Canadian IAP under different assumptions. The most plausible estimate is a social rate of return between 36% and 70%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Develops and implements a framework for estimating the impact of tourism advertising on tourist spending for the 1987-1988 Ontario Incredible advertising campaign. Linking of tourism advertising to changes in awareness and attitudes toward target destination based on advertising tracking data; Changes in number of visits; Significant returns to advertising campaign.

Measures rates of return from spending on New Brunswick universities for the provincial government, the federal and provincial governments together, students and society taken as a whole. Benefits and cost from spending on universities; Rates of return results; Policy discussion.

The article reports on the proposed framework to determine the return on investment of health research in Canada. It states that the framework employs a payback model in which investments are evaluated based on its benefits to future researchers, health sector benefits, and broader economic sector benefits. However, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences argues with the framework and contends that Canada should immediately commence efforts to begin analyzing the impacts of Canadian research.