Health Care Expenditures Among Individuals With Chronic Psychotic Disorders in Ontario: An Analysis Over Time

Chronic psychotic disorders are severe and disabling mental disorders associated with poor psychiatric and medical outcomes, and among the most costly mental disorders to treat. Understanding trends in aggregate health care expenditures over time, and respective drivers, can provide relevant insights for decision makers, namely around appropriate allocation of scarce resources within the health care sector. Using administrative health care times series data from Ontario, this analysis examined trends in aggregate public health care expenditures and activity from 2012 to 2019 among all individuals with a diagnosis of a chronic psychotic disorder. Total aggregate health care expenditures for individuals with a chronic psychotic disorder in Ontario increased at a moderate rate over this time period, in line with the growth of the number of people diagnosed, and thus not likely driven by unit costs or resource use. Psychiatric hospitalizations made up the largest share of health care expenditures (~30%). Nonetheless, among all health services, expenditures of acute medical hospitalizations, outpatient prescription drugs and home care saw the largest growth over time. Mean/per capita health care expenditures were greater for females, and increased with age as well as with the presence of comorbidities/chronic conditions. In particular, mean/per capita health care expenditures increased steadily with the number of comorbidities and were highest for individuals with 5 or more comorbidities and those with congestive heart failure, highlighting the ever-increasing importance of addressing physical health conditions among this patient population. These findings will have important implications for decision makers, namely around the appropriate allocation of health care resources for patients with chronic psychotic disorders. Future research should continue to monitor health care expenditures for individuals with chronic psychotic disorders as well as extend this analysis beyond 2019 to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulting lockdowns, has impacted aggregate health care expenditures and outcomes for patients living with chronic psychotic disorders.

Health Care Expenditures Among Individuals With Chronic Psychotic Disorders in Ontario: An Analysis Over Time.

Chronic psychotic disorders are severe and disabling mental disorders associated with poor psychiatric and medical outcomes, and among the most costly mental disorders to treat. Understanding trends in aggregate health care expenditures over time, and respective drivers, can provide relevant insights for decision makers, namely around appropriate allocation of scarce resources within the health care sector. Using administrative health care times series data from Ontario, this analysis examined trends in aggregate public health care expenditures and activity from 2012 to 2019 among all individuals with a diagnosis of a chronic psychotic disorder. Total aggregate health care expenditures for individuals with a chronic psychotic disorder in Ontario increased at a moderate rate over this time period, in line with the growth of the number of people diagnosed, and thus not likely driven by unit costs or resource use. Psychiatric hospitalizations made up the largest share of health care expenditures (~30%). Nonetheless, among all health services, expenditures of acute medical hospitalizations, outpatient prescription drugs and home care saw the largest growth over time. Mean/per capita health care expenditures were greater for females, and increased with age as well as with the presence of comorbidities/chronic conditions. In particular, mean/per capita health care expenditures increased steadily with the number of comorbidities and were highest for individuals with 5 or more comorbidities and those with congestive heart failure, highlighting the ever-increasing importance of addressing physical health conditions among this patient population. These findings will have important implications for decision makers, namely around the appropriate allocation of health care resources for patients with chronic psychotic disorders. Future research should continue to monitor health care expenditures for individuals with chronic psychotic disorders as well as extend this analysis beyond 2019 to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulting lockdowns, has impacted aggregate health care expenditures and outcomes for patients living with chronic psychotic disorders.

Sociodemographic Differences in Physician-Based Mental Health and Virtual Care Utilization and Uptake of Virtual Care Among Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the relationship between social determinants of health and physician-based mental healthcare utilization and virtual care use among children and adolescents in Ontario, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This population-based repeated cross-sectional study of children and adolescents (3-17 years; N = 2.5 million) used linked health and demographic administrative data in Ontario, Canada (2017-2021). Multivariable Poisson regressions with generalized estimating equations compared rates of outpatient physician-based mental healthcare use during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic with expected rates based on pre-COVID patterns. Analyses were conducted by socioeconomic status (material deprivation quintiles of the Ontario Marginalization index), urban/rural region of residence, and immigration status. RESULTS: Overall, pediatric physician-based mental healthcare visits were 5% lower than expected (rate ratio [RR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92 to 0.98) among those living in the most deprived areas in the first year of the pandemic, compared with the least deprived with 4% higher than expected rates (RR = 1.04, 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.06). There were no differences in overall observed and expected visit rates by region of residence. Immigrants had 14% to 26% higher visit rates compared with expected from July 2020 to February 2021, whereas refugees had similarly observed and expected rates. Virtual care use was approximately 65% among refugees, compared with 70% for all strata. CONCLUSION: During the first year of the pandemic, pediatric physician-based mental healthcare utilization was higher among immigrants and lower than expected among those with lower socioeconomic status. Refugees had the lowest use of virtual care. Further work is needed to understand whether these differences reflect issues in access to care or the need to help inform ongoing pandemic recovery planning.

Adult Psychiatric Hospitalizations in Ontario, Canada Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric hospitalizations in Ontario are unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify changes to volumes and characteristics of psychiatric hospitalizations in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A time series analysis was done using psychiatric hospitalizations with admissions dates from July 2017 to September 2021 identified from provincial health administrative data. Variables included monthly volumes of hospitalizations as well as proportions of stays <3 days and involuntary admissions, overall and by diagnosis (mood, psychotic, addiction, and other disorders). Changes to trends during the pandemic were tested using linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 236,634 psychiatric hospitalizations were identified. Volumes decreased in the first few months of the pandemic before returning to prepandemic volumes by May 2020. However, monthly hospitalizations for psychotic disorders increased by ∼9% compared to the prepandemic period and remained elevated thereafter. Short stays and involuntary admissions increased by approximately 2% and 7%, respectively, before trending downwards. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric hospitalizations quickly stabilized in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, evidence suggested a shift towards a more severe presentation during this period.

Changes in health service use due to alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with and individuals without pre-existing alcohol-related medical diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE: To compare changes in outpatient and acute care visits due to alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic between individuals with and those without a history of alcohol-related health service use (AHSU). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of health administrative data in Ontario, Canada. The Ontario population was stratified into those with and those without 1+ health service encounter(s) due to alcohol in the past 2 years. We compared age- and sex-standardized rates of alcohol-related outpatient visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations during the first 15 months of the pandemic (March 2020-May 2021) to those during the same 15-month period prior to the pandemic (March 2018-May 2019). RESULTS: Of 13,450,750 eligible Ontarians on March 11, 2022, 129,434 (1.0%) had AHSU in the previous 2 years. Overall, rates of alcohol-related outpatient visits and hospitalizations increased, while rates of alcohol-related ED visits decreased during the pandemic. There was a similar relative increase in rates of alcohol-related outpatient visits and hospitalizations between those with and those without prior AHSU. However, the absolute increase in rates of alcohol-related outpatient visits and hospitalizations was higher among those with prior AHSU (outpatient rate difference (RD) per 10,000 population: 852.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 792.7, 911.9; inpatient RD: 26.0, 95% CI: -2.3, 54.2) than among those without (outpatient RD: 6.5, 95% CI: 6.0, 6.9; inpatient RD: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.7). CONCLUSION: Rates of alcohol-related outpatient and inpatient care increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and high rate of recurrent harm among individuals with pre-pandemic AHSU was an important contributor to this trend.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Comparer les changements dans consultations externes et les consultations en soins actifs liées à l'alcool pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 chez les personnes avec et chez celles sans antécédents d'utilisation des services de santé liée à l'alcool (USSLA). MéTHODE: Nous avons effectué une analyse transversale des données administratives sur la santé de l'Ontario, au Canada. Nous avons stratifié la population ontarienne selon la présence (1+) ou l'absence de contacts avec les services de santé pour des raisons liées à l'alcool au cours des deux années antérieures. Nous avons comparé les taux de consultations externes, de consultations à l'urgence et d'hospitalisations liées à l'alcool, standardisés pour l'âge et le sexe, au cours des 15 premiers mois de la pandémie (mars 2020­mai 2021) aux taux correspondants pour la même période de 15 mois avant la pandémie (mars 2018­mai 2019). RéSULTATS: Sur les 13 450 750 Ontariens et Ontariennes admissibles le 11 mars 2022, 129 434 (1,0 %) avaient utilisé les services de santé pour des raisons liées à l'alcool au cours des deux années antérieures. Dans l'ensemble, les taux de consultations externes et d'hospitalisations liées à l'alcool ont augmenté, tandis que les taux de consultations à l'urgence liées à l'alcool ont diminué pendant la pandémie. Il y a eu une augmentation relative semblable des taux de consultations externes et d'hospitalisations liées à l'alcool entre les personnes avec et sans antécédents d'USSLA. Par contre, l'augmentation absolue des taux de consultations externes et d'hospitalisations liées à l'alcool a été plus élevée chez les personnes ayant des antécédents d'USSLA (différence de taux [DT] de consultations externes pour 10 000 habitants : 852,3; intervalle de confiance de 95 % [IC] : 792,7, 911,9; DT d'hospitalisations : 26,0; IC de 95 % : -2,3, 54,2) que chez les personnes sans antécédents d'USSLA (DT de consultations externes : 6,5; IC de 95 % : 6,0, 6,9; DT d'hospitalisations : 0,4; IC de 95 % : 0,2, 0,7). CONCLUSION: Les taux de consultations externes et d'hospitalisations liées à l'alcool ont augmenté pendant la pandémie de COVID-19, et les taux élevés de méfaits récurrents chez les personnes ayant utilisé les services de santé pour des raisons liées à l'alcool avant la pandémie ont beaucoup contribué à cette tendance.

Determinants of Hospital Use and Physician Services Among Adults With a History of Homelessness.

Background: People experiencing homelessness have diverse patterns of healthcare use. This study examined the distribution and determinants of healthcare encounters among adults with a history of homelessness. Methods: Administrative healthcare records were linked with survey data for a general cohort of adults with a history of homelessness and a cohort of homeless adults with mental illness. Binary and count models were used to identify factors associated with hospital admissions, emergency department visits and physician visits for comparison across the 2 cohorts. Results: During the 1-year follow-up period, a higher proportion of people in the cohort with a mental illness used any inpatient (27% vs 14%), emergency (63% vs 53%), or physician services (90% vs 76%) compared to the general homeless cohort. People from racialized groups were less likely use nearly all health services, most notably physician services. Other factors, such as reporting of a regular source of care, poor perceived general health, and diagnosed chronic conditions were associated with higher use of all health services except psychiatric inpatient care. Conclusion: When implementing interventions for patients with the greatest health needs, we must consider the unique factors that contribute to higher healthcare use, as well as the barriers to healthcare access.

Follow-up after post-partum psychiatric emergency department visits: an equity-focused population-based study in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department visits for a psychiatric reason in the post-partum period represent an acute need for mental health care at a crucial time, but little is known about the extent of timely outpatient follow-up after these visits or how individual and intersecting social determinants of health influence this outcome. This study aimed to examine outpatient mental health care follow-up by a physician in the 30 days after an individual attended the emergency department for a psychiatric reason in the post-partum period and understand how social determinants of health affect who receives follow-up care. METHODS: In this population-based cohort study, routinely collected health data from Ontario, Canada were accessed through ICES to identify all post-partum individuals whose sex was listed as female on their health card and who had attended an emergency department in Ontario before the COVID-19 pandemic for a psychiatric reason. Individuals admitted to hospital at the time of the emergency department visit, who died during the visit, or who left without being seen were excluded from the study. Ethnicity data for individuals were not collected. The primary outcome was the proportion of individuals with any outpatient physician (psychiatrist or family physician) visit for a mental health reason within 30 days of the index emergency department visit. Family physician mental health visits were identified using a validated algorithm for Ontario Health Insurance Plan-billed visits and mental health diagnostic codes for community health centre visits. We examined the associations between social determinants of health (age, neighbourhood income, community size, immigration, neighbourhood ethnic diversity) and who received an outpatient mental health visit. We used modified Poisson regression adjusting for the other social determinants of health, clinical, and health services characteristics to examine independent associations with follow-up, and conditional inference trees to explore how social determinants of health intersect with each other and with clinical and health services characteristics in relation to follow-up. FINDINGS: We analysed data collected between April 1, 2008, and March 10, 2020, after exclusions we identified 12 158 people who had attended the emergency department for a psychiatric reason in the post-partum period (mean age 26·9 years [SD 6·2]; range 13-47); 9848 individuals lived in an urban area, among these 1518 (15·5%) were immigrants and 2587 (26·3%) lived in areas with high ethnic diversity. 5442 (44·8%) of 12 158 individuals received 30-day follow-up. In modified Poisson regression models, younger age, lower neighbourhood income, smaller community size, and being an immigrant were associated with a lower likelihood of follow-up. In the CTREE, similar variables were important, with several intersections between social determinants of health and between social determinants of health and other variables. INTERPRETATION: Fewer than half of emergency department visits for a psychiatric reason in the post-partum period were followed by timely outpatient care, with social-determinants-of-health-based disparities in access to care. Improvements in equitable access to post-emergency department mental health care are urgently needed in this high-risk post-partum population. FUNDING: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Utilization of Physician-Based Mental Health Care Services Among Children and Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

IMPORTANCE: Public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have heightened distress among children and adolescents and contributed to a shift in delivery of mental health care services. OBJECTIVES: To measure and compare physician-based outpatient mental health care utilization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and quantify the extent of uptake of virtual care delivery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Population-based repeated cross-sectional study using linked health and administrative databases in Ontario, Canada. All individuals aged 3 to 17 years residing in Ontario from January 1, 2017, to February 28, 2021. EXPOSURES: Pre-COVID-19 period from January 1, 2017, to February 29, 2020, and post-COVID-19 onset from March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Physician-based outpatient weekly visit rates per 1000 population for mental health diagnoses overall and stratified by age group, sex, and mental health diagnostic grouping and proportion of virtual visits. Poisson generalized estimating equations were used to model 3-year pre-COVID-19 trends and forecast expected trends post-COVID-19 onset and estimate the change in visit rates before and after the onset of COVID-19. The weekly proportions of virtual visits were calculated. RESULTS: In a population of almost 2.5 million children and adolescents (48.7% female; mean [SD] age, 10.1 [4.3] years), the weekly rate of mental health outpatient visits was 6.9 per 1000 population. Following the pandemic onset, visit rates declined rapidly to below expected (adjusted relative rate [aRR], 0.81; 95% CI, 0.79-0.82) in April 2020 followed by a growth to above expected (aRR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09) by July 2020 and sustained at 10% to 15% above expected as of February 2021. Adolescent female individuals had the greatest increase in visit rates relative to expected by the end of the study (aRR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.25-1.28). Virtual care accounted for 5.0 visits per 1000 population (72.5%) of mental health visits over the study period, with a peak of 5.3 visits per 1000 population (90.1%) (April 2020) and leveling off to approximately 70% in the latter months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Physician-based outpatient mental health care in Ontario increased during the pandemic, accompanied by a large, rapid shift to virtual care. There was a disproportionate increase in use of mental health care services among adolescent female individuals. System-level planning to address the increasing capacity needs and to monitor quality of care with such large shifts is warranted.

Adapting Evidence-Based Early Psychosis Intervention Services for Virtual Delivery: Protocol for a Pragmatic Mixed Methods Implementation and Evaluation Study.

BACKGROUND: Timely and comprehensive treatment in the form of early psychosis intervention (EPI) has become the standard of care for youth with psychosis. While EPI services were designed to be delivered in person, the COVID-19 pandemic required many EPI programs to rapidly transition to virtual delivery, with little evidence to guide intervention adaptations or to support the effectiveness and satisfaction with virtual EPI services. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the adaptations required to deliver NAVIGATE, a model of coordinated specialty care used in EPI, in a virtual format. This study will evaluate implementation of the NAVIGATE model delivered virtually by describing the nature of the adaptations to the intervention, assessing fidelity to the EPI model and the satisfaction of clients, family members, and care providers. We will investigate barriers and facilitators to virtual NAVIGATE implementation, service engagement, and health equity impacts of this work. METHODS: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) transitioned to delivering NAVIGATE virtually early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications for Evidence-Based Interventions will be used to describe the adaptations required to deliver NAVIGATE virtually. Fidelity to the EPI model will be measured using the First Episode Psychosis Services Fidelity Scale and fidelity to NAVIGATE will be assessed by investigating adherence to its core components. Implementation facilitators and barriers will be explored using semistructured interviews with providers informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Satisfaction with virtually delivered NAVIGATE will be assessed with virtual client and provider experience surveys and qualitative interviews with clients, family members, and providers. Service engagement data will be collected through review of medical records, and potential impacts of virtually delivered NAVIGATE on different population groups will be assessed with the Health Equity Impact Assessment. RESULTS: Virtual clinical delivery of NAVIGATE started in March 2020 with additional adaptations and data collection is ongoing. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and survival analysis for quantitative data. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic content analysis. Integration of qualitative and quantitative data will occur at the data collection, interpretation, and reporting levels following a convergent design. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide information regarding the type of intervention adaptations required for virtual delivery of NAVIGATE for youth with early psychosis, ensuring access to high-quality care for this population during the pandemic and beyond by guiding future implementation in similar contexts. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/34591.

Acute mental health service use following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada: a trend analysis.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which heightened distress during the COVID-19 pandemic translated to increases in severe mental health outcomes is unknown. We examined trends in psychiatric presentations to acute care settings in the first 12 months after onset of the pandemic. METHODS: This was a trends analysis of administrative population data in Ontario, Canada. We examined rates of hospitalizations and emergency department visits for mental health diagnoses overall and stratified by sex, age and diagnostic grouping (e.g., mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders), as well as visits for intentional self-injury for people aged 10 to 105 years, from January 2019 to March 2021. We used Joinpoint regression to identify significant inflection points after the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. RESULTS: Among the 12 968 100 people included in our analysis, rates of mental health-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits declined immediately after the onset of the pandemic (peak overall decline of 30% [hospitalizations] and 37% [emergency department visits] compared to April 2019) and returned to near prepandemic levels by March 2021. Compared to April 2019, visits for intentional self-injury declined by 33% and remained below prepandemic levels until March 2021. We observed the largest declines in service use among adolescents aged 14 to 17 years (55% decline in hospitalizations, 58% decline in emergency department visits) and 10 to 13 years (56% decline in self-injury), and for those with substance-related disorders (33% decline in emergency department visits) and anxiety disorders (61% decline in hospitalizations). INTERPRETATION: Contrary to expectations, the abrupt decline in acute mental health service use immediately after the onset of the pandemic and the return to near prepandemic levels that we observed suggest that changes and stressors in the first 12 months of the pandemic did not translate to increased service use. Continued surveillance of acute mental health service use is warranted.

Acute Care Visits for Eating Disorders Among Children and Adolescents After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: Anecdotal reports suggest a significant increase in acute presentations of eating disorders among children and adolescents. Our objective was to compare the rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for pediatric eating disorders before and during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using linked health administrative databases, we conducted a population-based repeated cross-sectional study of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for eating disorders among all children and adolescents aged 3-17 years, residing in Ontario, Canada. We defined the pre-COVID period from January 1, 2017, to February 29, 2020, and the post-COVID period from March 1, 2020, to December 26, 2020. Poisson generalized estimating equations were used to model 3-year pre-COVID trends to predict expected post-COVID trends and estimate the relative change from expected rates. RESULTS: In our population of almost 2.5 million children and adolescents, acute care visits for eating disorders increased immediately after the onset of the pandemic, reaching a 4-week peak annualized rate of 34.6 (emergency department visits) and 43.2 per 100,000 population (hospitalizations) in October 2020. Overall, we observed a 66% (adjusted relative rate: 1.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.41-1.96) and 37% (adjusted relative rate: 1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.25-1.50) increase in risk for emergency department visit and hospitalization, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Acute care visits for pediatric eating disorders increased significantly in Ontario after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and remained well above expected levels during the first 10 months of the pandemic. Further research is needed to understand the social and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the observed changes in health system utilization.

Sociodemographic changes in emergency department visits due to alcohol during COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Little detailed sociodemographic information is available about how alcohol use and associated health care visits have changed during COVID-19. Therefore, we assessed how rates of emergency department (ED) visits due to alcohol have changed during COVID-19 by age and sex and for individuals living in urban and rural settings and low and high-income neighborhoods. METHODS: Our cohort included 13,660,516 unique Ontario residents between the ages of 10-105. We compared rates and characteristics of ED visits due to alcohol, identified using ICD-10 codes, from March 11-August 31 2020 to the same period in the prior 3 years. We used negative binomial regressions to examine to examine changes is visits during COVID-19 after accounting for temporal and seasonal trends. RESULTS: During COVID-19, the average monthly rate of ED visits due to alcohol decreased by 17.2 % (95 % CI -22.7, -11.3) from 50.5-40.9 visits per 100,000 individuals. In contrast, the proportion of all-cause ED visits due to alcohol increased by 11.4 % (95 % CI 7.7, 15.3) from 15.0 visits to 16.3 visits per 1000 all cause ED visits. Changes in ED visits due to alcohol were similar for men in women. Decreases in visits were larger for younger adults compared to older adults and pre-COVID-19 disparities in rates of ED visits due to alcohol between urban and rural settings and low and high-income neighborhoods widened. ED visits related to harms from acute intoxication showed the largest declines during COVID-19, particularly in younger adults and urban and high-income neighborhoods. CONCLUSION: ED visits due to alcohol decreased during the first six months of COVID-19, but to a lesser extent than decreases in all-cause ED visits. Our data suggest a widening of geographic and income-based disparities in alcohol harms in Ontario during COVID-19 which may require immediate and long-term interventions to mitigate.