The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions and outpatient visits in Ontario, Canada.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The wave-over-wave effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital visits for non-COVID-19-related diagnoses in Ontario, Canada remains unknown.

Methods

We compared the rates of acute care hospitalizations (Discharge Abstract Database), emergency department (ED) visits, and day surgery visits (National Ambulatory Care Reporting System) during the first five "waves" of Ontario's COVID-19 pandemic with prepandemic rates (since January 1, 2017) across a spectrum of diagnostic classifications.

Results

Patients admitted in the COVID-19 era were less likely to reside in long-term-care facilities (OR 0.68 [0.67-0.69]), more likely to reside in supportive housing (OR 1.66 [1.63-1.68]), arrive by ambulance (OR 1.20 [1.20-1.21]) or be admitted urgently (OR 1.10 [1.09-1

SUBMITTER: Habbous S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10263076 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature