The human health effects of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) chemical exposures: a scoping review of the toxicological literature.

Many chemicals associated with unconventional oil and natural gas (UOG) are known toxicants, leading to health concerns about the effects of UOG. Our objective was to conduct a scoping review of the toxicological literature to assess the effects of UOG chemical exposures in models relevant to human health. We searched databases for primary research studies published in English or French between January 2000 and June 2023 on UOG-related toxicology studies. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and full texts to determine inclusion. Seventeen studies met our study inclusion criteria. Nine studies used solely in vitro models, while six conducted their investigation solely in animal models. Two studies incorporated both types of models. Most studies used real water samples impacted by UOG or lab-made mixtures of UOG chemicals to expose their models. Most in vitro models used human cells in monocultures, while all animal studies were conducted in rodents. All studies detected significant deleterious effects associated with exposure to UOG chemicals or samples, including endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity, behavioral changes and metabolic alterations. Given the plausibility of causal relationships between UOG chemicals and adverse health outcomes highlighted in this review, future risk assessment studies should focus on measuring exposure to UOG chemicals in human populations.

The human health effects of unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD): A scoping review of epidemiologic studies.

OBJECTIVE: Unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD, sometimes termed "fracking" or "hydraulic fracturing") is an industrial process to extract methane gas and/or oil deposits. Many chemicals used in UOGD have known adverse human health effects. Canada is a major producer of UOGD-derived gas with wells frequently located in and around rural and Indigenous communities. Our objective was to conduct a scoping review to identify the extent of research evidence assessing UOGD exposure-related health impacts, with an additional focus on Canadian studies. METHODS: We included English- or French-language peer-reviewed epidemiologic studies (January 2000-December 2022) which measured exposure to UOGD chemicals directly or by proxy, and where health outcomes were plausibly caused by UOGD-related chemical exposure. Results synthesis was descriptive with results ordered by outcome and hierarchy of methodological approach. SYNTHESIS: We identified 52 studies from nine jurisdictions. Only two were set in Canada. A majority (n = 27) used retrospective cohort and case-control designs. Almost half (n = 24) focused on birth outcomes, with a majority (n = 22) reporting one or more significant adverse associations of UOGD exposure with: low birthweight; small for gestational age; preterm birth; and one or more birth defects. Other studies identified adverse impacts including asthma (n = 7), respiratory (n = 13), cardiovascular (n = 6), childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (n = 2), and all-cause mortality (n = 4). CONCLUSION: There is a growing body of research, across different jurisdictions, reporting associations of UOGD with adverse health outcomes. Despite the rapid growth of UOGD, which is often located in remote, rural, and Indigenous communities, Canadian research on its effects on human health is remarkably sparse. There is a pressing need for additional evidence.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: L'exploitation pétrolière et gazière non conventionnelle (EPGNC, parfois appelée « fracturation ¼ ou « fracturation hydraulique ¼) est un processus industriel d'extraction du méthane et/ou de gisements de pétrole. De nombreux produits chimiques utilisés dans l'EPGNC ont des effets indésirables connus sur la santé humaine. Le Canada est un grand producteur de gaz dérivé de l'EPGNC, dont les puits sont souvent situés à l'intérieur et autour de communautés rurales et autochtones. Nous avons mené une étude de champ pour déterminer l'étendue des données de recherche évaluant les effets sur la santé de l'exposition à l'EPGNC, en nous concentrant plus particulièrement sur les études canadiennes. MéTHODE: Nous avons inclus des études épidémiologiques en anglais ou en français évaluées par les pairs (janvier 2000 à décembre 2022) qui mesuraient l'exposition directe ou indirecte aux produits chimiques de l'EPGNC et dans lesquelles les résultats cliniques étaient plausiblement causés par l'exposition aux produits chimiques liés à l'EPGNC. La synthèse des résultats est descriptive, et les résultats sont ordonnés selon les résultats cliniques et l'approche méthodologique. SYNTHèSE: Nous avons identifié 52 études menées dans neuf juridictions. Deux seulement étaient canadiennes. La majorité (n = 27) faisaient appel à des cohortes rétrospectives ou étaient des études cas-témoins. Près de la moitié (n = 24) portaient sur les issues de la grossesse, et la majorité (n = 22) déclaraient une ou plusieurs associations indésirables significatives entre l'exposition à l'EPGNC et : l'insuffisance de poids à la naissance; la petite taille du bébé pour son âge gestationnel; la naissance avant terme; et une ou plusieurs anomalies congénitales. D'autres études faisaient état d'effets indésirables, dont l'asthme (n = 7), les troubles respiratoires (n = 13), les troubles cardiovasculaires (n = 6), la leucémie aiguë lymphoblastique infantile (n = 2) et la mortalité toutes causes confondues (n = 4). CONCLUSION: Il existe dans différents pays un corpus croissant d'études qui font état d'associations entre l'EPGNC et des résultats sanitaires indésirables. Malgré la croissance rapide de l'EPGNC, souvent présente dans des communautés éloignées, rurales et autochtones, la recherche canadienne sur ses effets sur la santé humaine est remarquablement clairsemée. Il y a un besoin urgent de recueillir d'autres données probantes à ce sujet.

Risk of active tuberculosis in migrants diagnosed with cancer: a retrospective cohort study in British Columbia, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the association between types of cancer and active tuberculosis (TB) risk in migrants. Additionally, in order to better inform latent TB infection (LTBI) screening protocols, we assessed proportion of active TB cases potentially preventable through LTBI screening and treatment in migrants with cancer. DESIGN: Population-based, retrospective cohort study. SETTING: British Columbia (BC), Canada. PARTICIPANTS: 1 000 764 individuals who immigrated to Canada from 1985 to 2012 and established residency in BC at any point up to 2015. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Using linked health administrative databases and disease registries, data on demographics, comorbidities, cancer type, TB exposure and active TB diagnosis were extracted. Primary outcomes included: time to first active TB diagnoses, and risks of active TB following cancer diagnoses which were estimated using Cox extended hazard regression models. Potentially preventable TB was defined as active TB diagnosed >6 months postcancer diagnoses. RESULTS: Active TB risk was increased in migrants with cancer ((HR (95% CI)) 2.5 (2.0 to 3.1)), after adjustment for age, sex, TB incidence in country of origin, immigration classification, contact status and comorbidities. Highest risk was observed with lung cancer (HR 11.2 (7.4 to 16.9)) and sarcoma (HR 8.1 (3.3 to 19.5)), followed by leukaemia (HR 5.6 (3.1 to 10.2)), lymphoma (HR 4.9 (2.7 to 8.7)) and gastrointestinal cancers (HR 2.7 (1.7 to 4.4)). The majority (65.9%) of active TB cases were diagnosed >6 months postcancer diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Specific cancers increase active TB risk to varying degrees in the migrant population of BC, with approximately two-thirds of active TB cases identified as potentially preventable.

Long-Term Care Facility Ownership and Acute Hospital Service Use in British Columbia, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies report higher hospitalization rates in for-profit compared with nonprofit long-term care facilities (LTCFs), but have not included staffing data, a major potential confounder. Our objective was to examine the effect of ownership on hospital admission rates, after adjusting for facility staffing levels and other facility and resident characteristics, in a large Canadian province (British Columbia). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Our cohort included individuals resident in a publicly funded LTCF in British Columbia at any time between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2016. MEASURES: Health administrative data were extracted from multiple databases, including continuing care, hospital discharge, and Minimum Data Set (MDS 2.0) assessment records. Cox extended hazards regression was used to estimate hospitalization risk associated with facility- and resident-level factors. RESULTS: The cohort included 49,799 residents in 304 LTCF facilities (116 publicly owned and operated, 99 for-profit, and 89 nonprofit) over the study period. Hospitalization risk was higher for residents in for-profit (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-1.38) and nonprofit (adjHR 1.37; 95% CI 1.32-1.41) facilities compared with publicly owned and operated facilities, after adjustment for staffing, facility size, urban location, resident demographics, and case mix. Within subtypes, risk was highest in single-site facilities: for-profit (adjHR 1.42; 95% CI 1.36-1.48) and nonprofit (adjHR 1.38, 95% CI 1.33-1.44). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first Canadian study using linked health data from hospital discharge records, MDS 2.0, facility staffing, and ownership records to examine the adjusted effect of facility ownership characteristics on hospital use of LTCF residents. We found significantly lower adjHRs for hospital admission in publicly owned facilities compared with both for-profit and nonprofit facilities. Our finding that publicly owned facilities have lower hospital admission rates compared with for-profit and nonprofit facilities can help inform decision-makers faced with the challenge of optimizing care models in both nursing homes and hospitals as they build capacity to care for aging populations.

Treatment with isoniazid or rifampin for latent tuberculosis infection: population-based study of hepatotoxicity, completion and costs.

Clinical trials suggest less hepatotoxicity and better adherence with 4 months rifampin (4R) versus 9 months isoniazid (9H) for treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Our objectives were to compare frequencies of severe hepatic adverse events and treatment completion, and direct health system costs of LTBI regimens 4R and 9H, in the general population of the province of Quebec, Canada, using provincial health administrative data.Our retrospective cohort included all patients starting rifampin or isoniazid regimens between 2003 and 2007. We estimated hepatotoxicity from hospitalisation records, treatment completion from community pharmacy records and direct costs from billing records and fee schedules. We compared rifampin to isoniazid using logistic (hepatotoxicity), log-binomial (completion), and gamma (costs) regression, with adjustment for age, co-morbidities and other confounders.10 559 individuals started LTBI treatment (9684 isoniazid; 875 rifampin). Rifampin patients were older with more baseline co-morbidities. Severe hepatotoxicity risk was higher with isoniazid (n=15) than rifampin (n=1), adjusted OR=2.3 (95% CI: 0.3-16.1); there were two liver transplants and one death with isoniazid and none with rifampin. Overall, patients without co-morbidities had lower hepatotoxicity risk (0.1% versus 1.0%). 4R completion (53.5%) was higher than 9H (36.9%), adjusted RR=1.5 (95% CI: 1.3-1.7). Mean costs per patient were lower for rifampin than isoniazid: adjusted cost ratio=0.7 (95% CI: 0.5-0.9).Risk of severe hepatotoxicity and direct costs were lower, and completion was higher, for 4R than 9H, after adjustment for age and co-morbidities. Severe hepatotoxicity resulted in death or liver transplant in three patients receiving 9H, compared with no patients receiving 4R.

The problem with defining foreign birth as a risk factor in tuberculosis epidemiology studies.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how stratifying persons born outside Canada according to tuberculosis (TB) incidence in their birth country and other demographic factors refines our understanding of TB epidemiology and local TB transmission. BACKGROUND: Population-level TB surveillance programs and research studies in low incidence settings often report all persons born outside the country in which the study is conducted as "foreign-born"-a single label for a highly diverse population with variable TB risks. This may mask important TB epidemiologic trends and not accurately reflect local transmission patterns. METHODS: We used population-level data from two large cohorts in British Columbia (BC), Canada: an immigration cohort (n = 337,492 permanent residents to BC) and a genotyping cohort (n = 2290 culture-confirmed active TB cases). We stratified active TB case counts, incidence rates, and genotypic clustering (an indicator of TB transmission) in BC by birth country TB incidence, age at immigration, and years since arrival. RESULTS: Persons from high-incidence countries had a 12-fold higher TB incidence than those emigrating from low-incidence settings. Estimates of local transmission, as captured by genotyping, versus reactivation of latent TB infection acquired outside Canada varied when data were stratified by birthplace TB incidence, as did patient-level characteristics of individuals in each group, such as age and years between immigration and diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Categorizing persons beyond simply "foreign-born", particularly in the context of TB epidemiologic and molecular data, is needed for a more accurate understanding of TB rates and patterns of transmission.

Estimated Impact of World Health Organization Latent Tuberculosis Screening Guidelines in a Region With a Low Tuberculosis Incidence: Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and treatment is a key component of the World Health Organization (WHO) EndTB Strategy, but the impact of LTBI screening and treatment at a population level is unclear. We aimed to estimate the impact of LTBI screening and treatment in a population of migrants to British Columbia (BC), Canada. METHODS: This retrospective cohort included all individuals (N = 1 080 908) who immigrated to Canada as permanent residents between 1985 and 2012 and were residents in BC at any time up to 2013. Multiple administrative databases were linked to identify people with risk factors who met the WHO strong recommendations for screening: people with tuberculosis (TB) contact, with human immunodeficiency virus, on dialysis, with tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors, who had an organ/haematological transplant, or with silicosis. Additional TB risk factors included immunosuppressive medications, cancer, diabetes, and migration from a country with a high TB burden. We defined active TB as preventable if diagnosed ≥6 months after a risk factor diagnosis. We estimated the number of preventable TB cases, given optimal LTBI screening and treatment, based on these risk factors. RESULTS: There were 16 085 people (1.5%) identified with WHO strong risk factors. Of the 2814 people with active TB, 118 (4.2%) were considered preventable through screening with WHO risk factors. Less than half (49.4%) were considered preventable with expanded screening to include people migrating from countries with high TB burdens, people who had been prescribed immunosuppressive medications, or people with diabetes or cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The application of WHO LTBI strong recommendations for screening would have minimally impacted the TB incidence in this population. Further high-risk groups must be identified to develop an effective LTBI screening and treatment strategy for low-incidence regions.

Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Migrants With CKD: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: In countries with a low tuberculosis (TB) incidence, TB disproportionately affects populations born abroad. TB persists in these populations through reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI) acquired before immigration. Those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for reactivation and may benefit from LTBI screening and treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Health administrative data from British Columbia, Canada, were used to inform a cost-effectiveness analysis evaluating LTBI screening in those diagnosed with stage 4 or 5 CKD not requiring dialysis (late-stage CKD) and those who began dialysis therapy. SETTING & POPULATION: Permanent residents establishing residency in British Columbia, Canada, between 1985 and 2012 who had late-stage CKD diagnosed or began dialysis therapy. INTERVENTIONS: Screening with the tuberculin skin test or interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) compared to no LTBI screening at the time of late-stage CKD diagnosis and time of dialysis therapy initiation. Treatment for those who tested positive was isoniazid for 9 months. OUTCOMES: Costs (2016 Can $), TB cases, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for QALYs gained was calculated. MODEL, PERSPECTIVE, & TIMEFRAME: Discrete event simulation model using a health care system perspective, 1.5% discount rate, and 5-year time horizon. RESULTS: Screening with IGRA was superior to the tuberculin skin test in all situations. Screening with IGRA was less expensive and resulted in better outcomes compared to no screening in those initiating dialysis therapy from countries with an elevated TB incidence. In individuals with late-stage CKD, screening with IGRA was only cost-effective in those 60 years or older (cost per QALY gained, <$48,000) from countries with an elevated TB incidence. LIMITATIONS: This study has limitations in generalizability to different epidemiologic settings and in modeling complicated clinical decisions. CONCLUSIONS: LTBI screening should be considered in non-Canadian-born residents initiating dialysis therapy and those with late stage CKD who are older.

A before-after study of hospital use in two frail populations receiving different home-based services over the same time in Vancouver, Canada.

BACKGROUND: As individuals age, they are more likely to experience increasing frailty and more frequent use of hospital services. First, we explored whether initiating home-based primary care in a frail homebound cohort, influenced hospital use. Second, we explored whether initiating regular home care support for personal care with usual primary care, in a second somewhat less frail cohort, influenced hospital use. METHODS: This was a before-after retrospective cohort study of two frail populations in Vancouver, Canada using administrative data to assess the influence of two different services started in two different cohorts over the same time period. The participants were 246 recipients of integrated home-based primary care and 492 recipients of home care followed between July 1st, 2008 and June 30th, 2013 before and after starting their respective services. Individuals in each group were linked to their hospital emergency department visit and discharge abstract records. The main outcome measures were mean emergency department visit and hospital admission rates per 1000 patient days for 21 months before versus the period after receipt of services, and the adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) on these outcomes post receipt of service. RESULTS: Before versus after starting integrated home-based primary care, emergency department visit rates per 1000 patient days (95% confidence intervals) were 4.1 (3.8, 4.4) versus 3.7 (3.3, 4.1), and hospital admissions rates were 2.3 (2.1, 2.5) versus 2.2 (1.9, 2.5). Before versus after starting home care, emergency department visit rates per 1000 patient days (95% confidence intervals) were 3.0 (2.8, 3.2) versus 4.0 (3.7, 4.3) visits and hospital admissions rates were 1.3 (1.2, 1.4) versus 1.9 (1.7, 2.1). Home-based primary care IRRs were 0.91 (0.72, 1.15) and 0.99 (0.76, 1.27) and home care IRRs were 1.34 (1.15, 1.56) and 1.46 (1.22, 1.74) for emergency department visits and hospital admissions respectively. CONCLUSIONS: After enrollment in integrated home-based primary care, emergency department visit and hospital admission rates stabilized. After starting home care with usual primary care, emergency department visit and hospital admission rates continued to rise.

Demographic predictors of active tuberculosis in people migrating to British Columbia, Canada: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Canadian tuberculosis (TB) guidelines recommend targeting postlanding screening for and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in people migrating to Canada who are at increased risk for TB reactivation. Our objectives were to calculate robust longitudinal estimates of TB incidence in a cohort of people migrating to British Columbia, Canada, over a 29-year period, and to identify groups at highest risk of developing TB based on demographic characteristics at time of landing. METHODS: We included all individuals (n = 1 080 908) who became permanent residents of Canada between Jan. 1, 1985, and Dec. 31, 2012, and were resident in BC at any time between 1985 and 2013. Multiple administrative databases were linked to the provincial TB registry. We used recursive partitioning models to identify populations with high TB yield. RESULTS: Active TB was diagnosed in 2814 individuals (incidence rate 24.2/100 000 person-years). Demographic factors (live-in caregiver, family, refugee immigration classes; higher TB incidence in country of birth; and older age) were strong predictors of TB incidence in BC, with elevated rates continuing many years after entry into the cohort. Recursive partitioning identified refugees 18-64 years of age from countries with a TB incidence greater than 224/100 000 population as a high-yield group, with 1% developing TB within the first 10 years. INTERPRETATION: These findings support recommendations in Canadian guidelines to target postlanding screening for and treatment of LTBI in adult refugees from high-incidence countries. Because high-yield populations can be identified at entry via demographic data, screening at this point may be practical and high-impact, particularly if the LTBI care cascade can be optimized.

Predictors of hospitalization of tuberculosis patients in Montreal, Canada: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalization is the most costly health system component of tuberculosis (TB) control programs. Our objectives were to identify how frequently patients are hospitalized, and the factors associated with hospitalizations and length-of-stay (LOS) of TB patients in a large Canadian city. METHODS: We extracted data from the Montreal TB Resource database, a retrospective cohort of all active TB cases reported to the Montreal Public Health Department between January 1996 and May 2007. Data included patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and dates of treatment and hospitalization. Predictors of hospitalization and LOS were estimated using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression, respectively. RESULTS: There were 1852 active TB patients. Of these, 51% were hospitalized initially during the period of diagnosis and/or treatment initiation (median LOS 17.5 days), and 9.0% hospitalized later during treatment (median LOS 13 days). In adjusted models, patients were more likely to be hospitalized initially if they were children, had co-morbidities, smear-positive symptomatic pulmonary TB, cavitary or miliary TB, and multi- or poly-TB drug resistance. Factors predictive of longer initial LOS included having HIV, renal disease, symptomatic pulmonary smear-positive TB, multi- or poly-TB drug resistance, and being in a teaching hospital. CONCLUSIONS: We found a high hospitalization rate during diagnosis and treatment of patients with TB. Diagnostic delay due to low index of suspicion may result in patients presenting with more severe disease at the time of diagnosis. Earlier identification and treatment, through interventions to increase TB awareness and more targeted prevention programs, might reduce costly TB-related hospital use.

Predicting tuberculosis risk in the foreign-born population of British Columbia, Canada: study protocol for a retrospective population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Improved understanding of risk factors for developing active tuberculosis (TB) will better inform decisions about diagnostic testing and treatment for latent TB infection (LTBI) in migrant populations in low-incidence regions. We aim to examine TB risk factors among the foreign-born population in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and to create and validate a clinically relevant multivariate risk score to predict active TB. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This retrospective population-based cohort study will include all foreign-born individuals who acquired permanent resident status in Canada between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2013 and acquired healthcare coverage in BC at any point during this period. Multiple administrative databases and disease registries will be linked, including a National Immigration Database, BC Provincial Health Insurance Registration, physician billings, hospitalisations, drugs dispensed from community pharmacies, vital statistics, HIV testing and notifications, cancer, chronic kidney disease and dialysis treatment, and all TB and LTBI testing and treatment data in BC. Extended proportional hazards regression will be used to estimate risk factors for TB and to create a prognostic TB risk score. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the University of British Columbia Clinical Ethics Review Board. Once completed, study findings will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. An online TB risk score calculator will also be created.

Observational Evidence of For-Profit Delivery and Inferior Nursing Home Care: When Is There Enough Evidence for Policy Change?

Margaret McGregor and colleagues consider Bradford Hill's framework for examining causation in observational research for the association between nursing home care quality and for-profit ownership.

Emergency department visit rates and patterns in Canada's Vancouver coastal health region.

This study used administrative health data to describe emergency department (ED) visits by residents from assisted living and nursing home facilities in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, British Columbia. We compared ED visit rates, the distribution of visits per resident, and ED dispositions of the assisted living and nursing home populations over a 3-year period (2005-2008). There were 13,051 individuals in our study population. Visit rates (95% confidence interval) were 124.8 (118.1-131.7) and 64.1 (62.9-65.3) visits per 100 resident years in assisted living and nursing home facilities respectively. A smaller proportion of ED visits by assisted living residents resulted in hospital admission compared to nursing home residents (45% vs. 48%, p < .01). The ED visit rate among assisted living residents is significantly higher compared to that among nursing home residents. Future research is needed into the underlying causes for this finding.

Nursing home characteristics associated with resident transfers to emergency departments.

This study examined how nursing home facility ownership and organizational characteristics relate to emergency department (ED) transfer rates. The sample included a retrospective cohort of nursing home residents in the Vancouver Coastal Health region (n = 13,140). Rates of ED transfers were compared between nursing home ownership types. Administrative data were further linked to survey-derived data of facility organizational characteristics for exploratory analysis. Crude ED transfer rates (transfers/100 resident years) were 69, 70, and 51, respectively, in for-profit, non-profit, and publicly owned facilities. Controlling for sex and age, public ownership was associated with lower ED transfer rates compared to for-profit and non-profit ownership. Results showed that higher total direct-care nursing hours per resident day, and presence of allied health staff--disproportionately present in publicly owned facilities--were associated with lower transfer rates. A number of other facility organizational characteristics--unrelated to ownership--were also associated with transfer rates.

A survey of nursing home organizational characteristics associated with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and care quality in one large British Columbia health region.

Hospitalization of nursing home residents can be futile as well as costly, and now evidence indicates that treating nursing home residents in place produces better outcomes for some conditions. We examined facility organizational characteristics that previous research showed are associated with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and with better care quality. Accordingly, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of nursing home directors of care in Vancouver Coastal Health, a large health region in British Columbia. The survey addressed staffing levels and organization, physician access, end-of-life care, and factors influencing facility-to-hospital transfers. Many of the modifiable organizational characteristics associated in the literature with potentially avoidable hospital transfers and better care quality are present in nursing homes in British Columbia. However, their presence is not universal, and some features, especially the organization of physician care and end-of-life planning and services, are particularly lacking.

Complaints in for-profit, non-profit and public nursing homes in two Canadian provinces.

BACKGROUND: Nursing homes provide long-term housing, support and nursing care to frail elders who are no longer able to function independently. Although studies conducted in the United States have demonstrated an association between for-profit ownership and inferior quality, relatively few Canadian studies have made performance comparisons with reference to type of ownership. Complaints are one proxy measure of performance in the nursing home setting. Our study goal was to determine whether there is an association between facility ownership and the frequency of nursing home complaints. METHODS: We analyzed publicly available data on complaints, regulatory measures, facility ownership and size for 604 facilities in Ontario over 1 year (2007/08) and 62 facilities in British Columbia (Fraser Health region) over 4 years (2004-2008). All analyses were carried out at the facility level. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to assess the association between type of facility ownership and frequency of complaints. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) number of verified/substantiated complaints per 100 beds per year in Ontario and Fraser Health was 0.45 (1.10) and 0.78 (1.63) respectively. Most complaints related to resident care. Complaints were more frequent in facilities with more citations, i.e., violations of the legislation or regulations governing a home, (Ontario) and inspection violations (Fraser Health). Compared with Ontario's for-profit chain facilities, adjusted incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals of verified complaints were 0.56 (0.27-1.16), 0.58 (0.34-1.00), 0.43 (0.21- 0.88), and 0.50 (0.30- 0.84) for for-profit single-site, non-profit, charitable, and public facilities respectively. In Fraser Health, the adjusted incident rate ratio of substantiated complaints in non-profit facilities compared with for-profit facilities was 0.18 (0.07-0.45). INTERPRETATION: Compared with for-profit chain facilities, non-profit, charitable and public facilities had significantly lower rates of complaints in Ontario. Likewise, in British Columbia's Fraser Health region, non-profit owned facilities had significantly lower rates of complaints compared with for-profit owned facilities.

Training the wider workforce in cognitive behavioural self-help: the SPIRIT (Structured Psychosocial InteRventions in Teams) training course.

BACKGROUND: The use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) self-help materials for depression is increasingly recommended as part of stepped care service models. Such resources can be delivered by both new specialist workers (such as the IAPT services in England), or by introducing this style of working into an existing workforce as described in the current paper. The Structured Psychosocial InteRventions in Teams (SPIRIT) course consists of 38.5 hours of workshops, and 5 hours of clinical supervision in the use of CBT self-help (CBSH). METHOD: This study describes an evaluation of the effectiveness of the course when offered to community and inpatient mental health staff from a wide range of adult and older adult mental health teams in NHS Greater Glasgow Mental Health Division. RESULTS: Training resulted in both subjective and objective knowledge and skills gains at the end of training that were largely sustained 3 months later. At that time point, 40% of staff still reported use of CBSH in the last week. Satisfaction with the training is high, using validated rating scales. CONCLUSIONS: The SPIRIT training has gone some way to increasing access to CBSH for use in everyday clinical practice.