CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
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Comparative Study
Psychosocial effects of SARS on hospital staff: survey of a large tertiary care institution.
The outbreak of SARS in 2003 had a dramatic effect on the health care system in Toronto. The main objective of this study was to investigate the psychosocial effects associated with working in a hospital environment during this outbreak. ⋯ Our findings indicate that the SARS outbreak had significant psychosocial effects on hospital staff. These effects differed with respect to occupation and risk perception. The effect on families and lifestyle was also substantial. These findings highlight the need for interventions to address psychosocial distress and concern and to provide support for employees during such crises.
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Comparative Study
Beneath the calm surface: the changing face of physician-service use in British Columbia, 1985/86 versus 1996/97.
Although expenditures on health care are continually increasing and often said to be unsustainable, few studies have examined these trends at the level of services delivered to individual patients. We analyzed trends in the various components that contributed to changes in overall expenditures for physician services in British Columbia from 1985/86 to 1996/97. ⋯ These findings suggest a form of "homeostasis" in aggregate-level service use and cost. The supposed inflationary effects of population aging and increasing "abuse of the system" by patients were not found.