Building an inpatient addiction medicine consult service in Sudbury, Canada: preliminary data and lessons learned in the era of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to (1) Describe the patient population of a newly implemented addiction medicine consult service (AMCS); (2) Evaluate referrals to community-based addiction support services and acute health service use, over time; (3) Provide lessons learned. METHODS: A retrospective observational analysis was conducted at Health Sciences North in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, with a newly implemented AMCS from November 2018 and July 2021. Data were collected using the hospital's electronic medical records. The outcomes measured included the number of emergency department visits, inpatient admissions, and re-visits over time. An interrupted time-series analysis was performed to measure the effect of AMCS implementation on acute health service use at Health Sciences North. RESULTS: A total of 833 unique patients were assessed through the AMCS. A total of 1,294 referrals were made to community-based addiction support services, with the highest proportion of referrals between August and October 2020. The post-intervention trend for ED visits, ED re-visits, ED length of stay, inpatient visits, re-visits, and inpatient length of stay did not significantly differ from the pre-intervention period. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an AMCS provides a focused service for patients using with substance use disorders. The service resulted in a high referral rate to community-based addiction support services and limited changes in health service usage.

Addressing Barriers to Health Care Access of Congenital Heart Disease Patients in Guyana.

In order to mitigate the late presentation and resulting poor outcomes of children with advanced cardiac disease, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Guyana has expressed interest in identifying ways to improve access to health care for these children. The goal of this study was to identify barriers faced by CHD patients and their families in accessing pediatric cardiology services in Guyana, and to identify limitations to the diagnosis and referral of CHD patients by health care professionals. Two surveys were used to gain insight into the experiences of practicing health care professionals and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of children with CHD. Patients were identified based on convenience sampling at cardiology clinics and outreach clinics in both urban and rural Guyana. Physicians were identified using convenience sampling at health posts in rural Guyana. Fifty-two (n = 52) families were identified and interviewed throughout the regions visited. The majority of families identified distance, the need to travel, and their inability, financially and practically, to attend clinic as the main barrier to accessing specialized care. Twelve (n = 12) health care providers were interviewed. They identified limited knowledge surrounding the diagnosis and management of CHD, and perceived impracticality of referring patients to specialized services, despite being aware of the referral process. This study identifies the need for improved outreach and support for health care providers and families, especially those living in rural communities. It identifies some of the challenges faced in managing patients with CHD in Guyana, while establishing specific areas for quality improvement.