ABSTRACT
The Canadian Institute for Health Information has compiled health system data to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canada's healthcare system. Information was aggregated from four distinct sectors of care: emergency department visits, in-patient hospital stays, physician care and home care. Across the sectors, there were two compelling themes: rapid transformation and change in human behaviour.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Canada/epidemiology , Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Home Care Services/statistics & numerical data , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Office Visits/statistics & numerical data , Telemedicine/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
As the population ages, more Canadians need home care to help manage their health conditions and live safely at home. For Canadians of all ages, timely access to mental health and addictions services is an area of growing concern. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its strain on health system resources have further highlighted the need to improve services in these areas. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is working with governments across Canada to bridge data gaps, develop indicators and publicly report results as part of a collective effort to improve access in these two sectors. Results for three new indicators were released by CIHI in 2020.