CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
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Previous studies of hospital utilization have not taken into account the use of acute care beds for subacute care. The authors determined the proportion of patients who required acute, subacute and nonacute care on admission and during their hospital stay in general hospitals in Ontario. From this analysis, they identified areas where the efficiency of care delivery might be improved. ⋯ In 1995, inpatients requiring subacute care accounted for a substantial proportion of nonacute care days in Ontario's general hospitals. These findings suggest a need to evaluate the efficiencies that might be achieved by introducing a subacute category of care into the Canadian health care system. Generally, efforts are needed to reduce the proportion of admissions for nonacute care and of in-hospital days for other than acute care.
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There is concern that the aging of Canada's population will strain our health care system. The authors address this concern by examining changes in the physician supply between 1986 and 1994 and by assessing the availability of physicians in 1994 relative to population growth and aging, and relative to supply levels in the benchmark province of Alberta. ⋯ The aging of Canada's population poses no threat of shortage to the Canadian physician supply in general, nor to most specialist groups. The marked deviations in provincial physician supply from that of the benchmark province challenge us to understand the costs and benefits of variations in physician resources across Canada and to achieve a more equitable needs-based availability of physicians within provinces and across the country.
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Unconventional therapies (UTs) are therapies not usually provided by Canadian physicians or other conventionally trained health care providers. Examples of common UTs available in Canada are herbal preparations, reflexology, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. UTs may be used along with conventional therapies (complementary) or instead of conventional therapies (alternative). ⋯ However, he or she will usually be able to provide some general advice and help supervise your progress. For your own health and safety, it is important to keep your doctor informed of the choices you make. This document is intended to (a) provide you with questions to consider when making your treatment choices, (b) help you find information about UTs, (c) help you decide whether a specific UT is right for you, and (d) provide tips to help you evaluate the information you find.