Retrospective population-based study of 132 000 Canadians on the relationship between community belonging and diabetes incidence.

Introduction: Community belonging is a dimension of subjective well-being that is of growing public health interest for mitigating chronic disease. However, there is limited longitudinal evidence that such a relationship exists. We assessed the effect of community belonging on the subsequent 5-year risk of diabetes.

Nowhere to go: a qualitative study examining the health of people who experience emergency shelter service restrictions in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Emergency shelters offer temporary accommodation to people deprived of housing. Service restriction is the practice of limiting or denying access to emergency shelters in response to behaviours deemed harmful to staff, community members or other clients. This community-based qualitative study describes the characteristics, healthcare utilisation and morbidity of people experiencing service restrictions.

The Effect of an Incentive Billing Code on Heart Failure Management in Primary Care: A Population-Based Study.

Background: To support family physicians (FPs) in managing patients with heart failure (HF), the Ministry of Health in Ontario, Canada implemented the Q050A billing code in 2008, a pay-for-performance incentive for guideline-based HF care. We studied whether the incentive was associated with any change in the prescription of HF medications.

Methods: We identified all patients with HF in Ontario aged ≥ 66 years who were managed by FPs claiming the Q050A incentive between 2008 and 2021.

Association of Albuminuria With 1-Year Risk of Heart Failure and Other Adverse Outcomes in Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Albuminuria is associated with increased stroke risk in atrial fibrillation (AF), but its relationship with heart failure (HF) and other adverse outcomes in AF is less well understood.

Methods: Using linked administrative databases, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of individuals aged ≥66 years who were newly diagnosed with AF between April 2009 and March 2019 in Ontario, Canada. Albuminuria was assessed using (1) urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR, mg/g) and (2) dipstick proteinuria (negative, trace, 1+, 2+, ≥3+).

Association of Rural or Urban Status, Region, and Institution Type with Cataract Surgery Wait Times in Ontario, Canada: A Retrospective, Population-Based Analysis.

Background: We will examine the cataract surgery wait time (WT) disparities across Ontario regions and institution types using a data-driven, population-level, and objective method based on billing codes.

Methods: We identified 1,138,532 adults who underwent cataract surgery between 2005-2019. WT from referral to initial surgeon visit (WT1) and from surgery decision to first eye surgery (WT2) were compared between rural (population <10,000) and urban settings, LHINs, and institution types (acute care, ambulatory, or other).

A qualitative study on the perspectives of patients and providers on the integration of geriatric personal support workers for improving quality of care in the emergency department.

Introduction: Canada's emergency departments (EDs) face extreme overcrowding, with older adults (65 +) comprising up to 25% of visits and often presenting with cognitive disorders, multiple comorbidities, and complex care needs. Personal support workers assist people needing help with daily activities, typically in homes or long-term care, but not EDs. The objective of this study was to describe patients, family members, and providers' perspectives on the implementation and impact of a novel Geriatric Personal Support Worker program in an ED setting in Toronto, Ontario.

Appropriate Treatment for Stage 1 and 2 Her2-Positive and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer by Immigration Status in Ontario, Canada.

Purpose: This study explored appropriate treatment received for stage 1 and 2 Her2-positive and triple-negative (TN) breast cancer (BC) among immigrants and long-term residents.

Methods: We identified women aged 18- 75 years diagnosed with BC in Ontario from 2012 to 2019. We stratified them into immigrants and long-term residents using the Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada Permanent Resident database (CIC).

An evidence-informed, community-engaged approach to designing a large-scale, impact-oriented research funding initiative to foster the implementation of transformative integrated care: a multi-methods qualitative study.

Background: Integrated care is a promising strategy to advance system transformation, care coordination, equity, and better health outcomes. Health services and policy research can drive evidence-informed health system improvements but is often underutilized. To optimize the relevance and impact of integrated care research as a transformative lever for better health and system outcomes, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) designed a large-scale, evidence-informed, community-engaged research funding initiative.

Opioid-containing antitussives in Switzerland: a descriptive cross-sectional time-series analysis of pharmacy sales 2013-2022.

Background: Opioid-containing antitussives are used to symptomatically treat a dry, irritative cough but bring a risk of misuse as recreational drugs. Since the update of the Swiss Therapeutic Products Act in 2019, opioid-containing antitussives are regulated more strictly, being available only on prescription and no longer over the counter.

Aim: This study aimed to describe the sales trends of opioid-containing antitussives in Switzerland between 2011 and 2022 to assess the impact of the regulation change.

Omission of anthracyclines from neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a population-based analysis.

Background: Most individuals diagnosed with high-risk breast cancer are treated with anthracycline-containing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). There is interest to identify individuals for whom anthracyclines can be avoided. A paucity of data exists on the extent to which anthracyclines are omitted in the neoadjuvant setting and its associated effectiveness.

Clinician underprescription of and patient nonadherence to clinical practice guideline-recommended medications for peripheral artery disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Guidelines recommend that adults with peripheral artery disease (PAD) take antiplatelets, statins, and antihypertensives. However, it is unclear how frequently clinicians do not prescribe these medications (ie, underprescription), how often patients fail to fill/refill their prescriptions (ie, nonadherence), which factors increase underprescription/nonadherence risk, and whether underprescription/nonadherence are associated with outcomes.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (January 1, 2006-to-February 18th, 2025) for studies reporting cumulative incidences/point prevalences of clinician underprescription and/or patient nonadherence to antiplatelets, statins, and/or antihypertensives; adjusted-risk factors for underprescription/nonadherence; and adjusted-outcomes associated with underprescription/nonadherence among adults with PAD.

Cough in Adults with Undiagnosed Respiratory Symptoms.

Rationale: Cough is a common symptom of undiagnosed respiratory conditions.

Objective: To investigate cough in adults with undiagnosed respiratory symptoms and its association with quality of life (QoL), sleep quality, and healthcare utilization for respiratory illness.

Methods: We used a case-finding strategy to find community-dwelling adults with respiratory symptoms but no previous history of diagnosed lung disease.

Association between dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes: a cohort study.

Introduction: People with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have an elevated risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs) might have favorable effects on COVID-19 outcomes.

Research Design And Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada.

Risk Profile of Young Adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: COPD risk profiles have been described in populations comprised of or including older adults, leaving factors associated with COPD in younger adults overlooked. We aimed to determine patient profiles of physician diagnosed COPD in younger adults.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted using population-based survey data linked to health administrative data from Ontario, Canada from 2007 to 2018.

Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings (CanTreatCOVID): protocol for a randomised controlled adaptive platform trial of treatments for acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in community settings.

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 is now endemic and expected to remain a health threat, with new variants continuing to emerge and the potential for vaccines to become less effective. While effective vaccines and natural immunity have significantly reduced hospitalisations and the need for critical care, outpatient treatment options remain limited, and real-world evidence on their clinical and cost-effectiveness is lacking. In this paper, we present the design of the Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings (CanTreatCOVID).

Association Between Schizophrenia and Adherence to Medications for Secondary Stroke Prevention.

Background: Schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk of stroke and under-treatment of vascular risk factors, but less is known about adherence to medications for secondary stroke prevention. We sought to understand current rates of adherence to secondary stroke prevention therapies among elderly ischemic stroke survivors with and without schizophrenia.

Methods: In a population-based cohort study, we used administrative databases to identify all patients aged ≥65 years who were hospitalized with ischemic stroke in the province of Ontario, Canada, between 2004 and 2018, and a validated algorithm to identify those with schizophrenia.

Unveiling the Impact: A Scoping Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on Racialized Populations in Canada.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialized communities and individuals in Canada.

Methods: This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidance on reporting scoping reviews. Ovid MEDLINE ALL, Embase Classic + Embase, CINAHL (Ebsco platform), PsycINFO, and Cochrane were searched for documents that were published after March 2020 and that reported on the social and economic impacts and health outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic on generally healthy racialized populations that reside in Canada.

Elevated Rates and Earlier Onset of Non-Pulmonary Comorbidities in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: A Population-Based Study.

Introduction People with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) are living longer with increasing comorbidities. The objective of this study was to estimate the rate of emerging non-pulmonary comorbidities in adults with CF and to compare these rates with the non-CF population. Methods This is a population-based cohort study of adults using Canadian CF Registry data linked with health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada.

Modification of the Association of B-Type Natriuretic Peptides With Mortality and Hospitalization Outcomes by Sex.

Background: The effects of sex on the prognostic implications of natriuretic peptide (NP) elevation have not been fully elucidated in the population.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine if sex modifies associations of NPs with mortality and hospitalization.

Methods: In a population-based retrospective cohort study, we identified all patients (aged ≥40 years) undergoing NP testing in Ontario, Canada (2015-2020).

International trends in radial artery usage for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Aims: The study aimed to investigate international trends in the adoption of the radial artery (RA) as a conduit for coronary artery bypass grafting across different national and regional registries.

Methods And Results: Data were extracted from four databases: the UK cardiac surgery database, the Ontario provincial administrative database, the Austrian national adult cardiac surgery database, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (STS ACSD). Radial artery use rates were 4.

Patients With Head and Neck Cancer and High Health Care Costs: A Population-Based Study.

Importance: The care for a small subset of patients is responsible for a disproportionately large share of health care expenditures. Head and neck cancer is associated with significant health care costs due to complex treatment regimens and long-term sequelae. Given this high baseline cost, identifying patients with high care costs within a population with cancer might help inform interventions to optimize resource allocation.

Surgical Outcomes Through the Patient's Eyes: A Scoping Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Surgery.

Introduction: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have gained significant recognition for their crucial role in evaluating patient-centered outcomes in surgical interventions. This scoping review aims to assess the use of PROMs across various specialties and identify trends in PROM implementation.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed databases, including studies published between January 2010 and August 2024.

Prevalence of diabetic kidney disease by world region of birth among immigrants and long-term residents of Canada with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: To measure the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) among immigrants and long-term residents with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada among adults aged 20-79 years with T2D. The exposure was world region of birth (immigrants); long-term residents were the comparison group.