Perspectives of Canadian health leaders on the relationship between medical assistance in dying and palliative and end-of-life care services: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016, but coordination of MAiD and palliative and end-of-life care (PEOLC) services remains underdeveloped. We sought to understand the perspectives of health leaders across Canada on the relationship between MAiD and PEOLC services and to identify opportunities for improved coordination. METHODS: In this quantitative study, we purposively sampled health leaders across Canada with expertise in MAiD, PEOLC, or both. We conducted semi-structured interviews between April 2021 and January 2022. Interview transcripts were coded independently by 2 researchers and reconciled to identify key themes using content analysis. We applied the PATH framework for Integrated Health Services to guide data collection and analysis. RESULTS: We conducted 36 interviews. Participants expressed diverse views about the optimal relationship between MAiD and PEOLC, and the desirability of integration, separation, or coordination of these services. We identified 11 themes to improve the relationship between the services across 4 PATH levels: client-centred services (e.g., educate public); health operations (e.g., cultivate compassionate and proactive leadership); health systems (e.g., conduct broad and inclusive consultation and planning); and intersectoral initiatives (e.g., provide standard practice guidelines across health care systems). INTERPRETATION: Health leaders recognized that cooperation between MAiD and PEOLC services is required for appropriate referrals, care coordination, and patient care. They identified the need for public and provider education, standardized practice guidelines, relationship-building, and leadership. Our findings have implications for MAiD and PEOLC policy development and clinical practice in Canada and other jurisdictions.

Disparities in cannabis-related emergency department visits across depressed and non-depressed individuals and the impact of recreational cannabis policy in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Recreational cannabis policies are being considered in many jurisdictions internationally. Given that cannabis use is more prevalent among people with depression, legalisation may lead to more adverse events in this population. Cannabis legalisation in Canada included the legalisation of flower and herbs (phase 1) in October 2018, and the deregulation of cannabis edibles one year later (phase 2). This study investigated disparities in cannabis-related emergency department (ED) visits in depressed and non-depressed individuals in each phase. METHODS: Using administrative data, we identified all adults diagnosed with depression 60 months prior to legalisation (n = 929 844). A non-depressed comparison group was identified using propensity score matching. We compared the pre-post policy differences in cannabis-related ED-visits in depressed individuals v. matched (and unmatched) non-depressed individuals. RESULTS: In the matched sample (i.e. comparison with non-depressed people similar to the depressed group), people with depression had approximately four times higher risk of cannabis-related ED-visits relative to the non-depressed over the entire period. Phases 1 and 2 were not associated with any changes in the matched depressed and non-depressed groups. In the unmatched sample (i.e. comparison with the non-depressed general population), the disparity between individuals with and without depression is greater. While phase 1 was associated with an immediate increase in ED-visits among the general population, phase 2 was not associated with any changes in the unmatched depressed and non-depressed groups. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a risk factor for cannabis-related ED-visits. Cannabis legalisation did not further elevate the risk among individuals diagnosed with depression.

Increasing pneumococcal vaccine uptake in older adults: a scoping review of interventions in high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: There is low uptake of the pneumococcal vaccination in eligible older adults, even in high-income countries that offer routine and universal vaccination programs. OBJECTIVE: To systematically characterize interventions aimed at improving pneumococcal vaccine uptake in older adults. DESIGN: We conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-SCr guidelines of five interdisciplinary databases: Medline-Ovid, Embase, CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Cochrane Library. Databases were searched from January 2015 until April 2020. The interventions were summarized into three pillars according to the European Union Conceptional Framework for Action: information campaigns, prioritization of vaccination schemes, and primary care interventions. RESULTS: Our scoping review included 39 studies that summarized interventions related to pneumococcal vaccine uptake for older adults, encompassing 2,481,887 study participants (945 healthcare providers and 2,480,942 older adults) across seven countries. Examples of interventions that were associated with increased pneumococcal vaccination rate included periodic health examinations, reminders and decision-making tools built into electronic medical records, inpatient vaccination protocols, preventative health checklists, and multimodal educational interventions. When comparing the three pillars, prioiritization of vaccination schemes had the highest evidence for improved rates of vaccination (n = 14 studies), followed by primary care interventions (n = 8 studies), then information campaigns (n = 5 studies). CONCLUSION: Several promising interventions were associated with improved outcomes related to vaccine uptake, although controlled study designs are needed to determine which interventions are most effective.

Prioritization of public health financing, organization, and workforce transformation: a Delphi study in Canada.

BACKGROUND: The increased scrutiny on public health brought upon by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic provides a strong impetus for a renewal of public health systems. This paper seeks to understand priorities of public health decision-makers for reforms to public health financing, organization, interventions, and workforce. METHODS: We used an online 3-round real-time Delphi method of reaching consensus on priorities for public health systems reform. Participants were recruited among individuals holding senior roles in Canadian public health institutions, ministries of health and regional health authorities. In Round 1, participants were asked to rate 9 propositions related to public health financing, organization, workforce, and interventions. Participants were also asked to contribute up to three further ideas in relation to these topics in open-ended format. In Rounds 2 and 3, participants re-appraised their ratings in the view of the group's ratings in the previous round. RESULTS: Eighty-six public health senior decision-makers from various public health organizations across Canada were invited to participate. Of these, 25/86 completed Round 1 (29% response rate), 19/25 completed Round 2 (76% retention rate) and 18/19 completed Round 3 (95% retention rate). Consensus (defined as more than 70% of importance rating) was achieved for 6 out of 9 propositions at the end of the third round. In only one case, the consensus was that the proposition was not important. Proposition rated consensually important relate to targeted public health budget, time frame for spending this budget, and the specialization of public health structures. Both interventions related and not related to the COVID-19 pandemic were judged important. Open-ended comments further highlighted priorities for renewal in public health governance and public health information management systems. CONCLUSION: Consensus emerged rapidly among Canadian public health decision-makers on prioritizing public health budget and time frame for spending. Ensuring that public health services beyond COVID-19 and communicable disease are maintained and enhanced is also of central importance. Future research shall explore potential trade-offs between these priorities.

Quality of care in the context of universal health coverage: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Universal health coverage (UHC) is an emerging priority of health systems worldwide and central to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (target 3.8). Critical to the achievement of UHC, is quality of care. However, current evidence suggests that quality of care is suboptimal, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The primary objective of this scoping review was to summarize the existing conceptual and empirical literature on quality of care within the context of UHC and identify knowledge gaps. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley framework and further elaborated by Levac et al. and applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL-Plus, PAIS Index, ProQuest and PsycINFO for reviews published between 1 January 1995 and 27 September 2021. Reviews were eligible for inclusion if the article had a central focus on UHC and discussed quality of care. We did not apply any country-based restrictions. All screening, data extraction and analyses were completed by two reviewers. RESULTS: Of the 4128 database results, we included 45 studies that met the eligibility criteria, spanning multiple geographic regions. We synthesized and analysed our findings according to Kruk et al.'s conceptual framework for high-quality systems, including foundations, processes of care and quality impacts. Discussions of governance in relation to quality of care were discussed in a high number of studies. Studies that explored the efficiency of health systems and services were also highly represented in the included reviews. In contrast, we found that limited information was reported on health outcomes in relation to quality of care within the context of UHC. In addition, there was a global lack of evidence on measures of quality of care related to UHC, particularly country-specific measures and measures related to equity. CONCLUSION: There is growing evidence on the relationship between quality of care and UHC, especially related to the governance and efficiency of healthcare services and systems. However, several knowledge gaps remain, particularly related to monitoring and evaluation, including of equity. Further research, evaluation and monitoring frameworks are required to strengthen the existing evidence base to improve UHC.

Disparities in access to primary care are growing wider in Canada.

Canadian provinces and territories have undertaken varied reforms to how primary care is funded, organized, and delivered, but equity impacts of reforms are unclear. We explore disparities in access to primary care by income, educational attainment, dwelling ownership, immigration, racialization, place of residence (metropolitan/non-metropolitan), and sex/gender, and how these have changed over time, using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007/08 and 2015/16 or 2017/18). We observe disparities by income, educational attainment, dwelling ownership, recent immigration, immigration (regular place of care), racialization (regular place of care), and sex/gender. Disparities are persistent over time or increasing in the case of income and racialization (regular medical provider and consulted with a medical professional). Primary care policy decisions that do not explicitly consider existing inequities may continue to entrench them. Careful study of equity impacts of ongoing policy reforms is needed.

Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Health Systems and Practice in 3 Canadian Provinces From the Perspective of Public Health Leaders: A Qualitative Study.

CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted health systems worldwide. Studies to date have largely focused on the health care system with less attention to the impact on public health systems and practice. OBJECTIVE: To describe the early impacts of COVID-19 on public health systems and practice in 3 Canadian provinces from the perspective of public health system leaders and synthesize lessons learned. DESIGN: A qualitative study using semistructured virtual interviews with public health leaders between October 2020 and April 2021. The World Health Organization's essential public health operations framework guided data collection and analysis. SETTING: This study involved the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Québec. These provinces were chosen for their large populations, relatively high COVID-19 burden, and variation in public health systems. PARTICIPANTS: Public health leaders from Alberta (n = 21), Ontario (n = 18), and Québec (n = 19) in organizations with a primary mandate of stewardship and/or administration of essential public health operations (total n = 58). RESULTS: We found that the COVID-19 pandemic led to intensified collaboration in public health systems and a change in workforce capacity to respond to the pandemic. This came with opportunities but also challenges of burnout and disruption of non-COVID-19 services. Information systems and digital technologies were increasingly used and there was greater proximity between public health leaders and other health system leaders. A renewed recognition for public health work was also highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted several aspects of public health systems in the provinces studied. Our findings can help public health leaders and policy makers identify areas for further investment (eg, intersectoral collaboration, information systems) and develop plans to address challenges (eg, disrupted services, workforce burnout) that have surfaced.

The current and potential uses of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data for primary health care performance measurement in the Canadian context: a qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are a rich data source to measure and improve quality of care. As Canadian primary health care (PHC) EMRs mature, there is increasing potential use of EMR data for performance measurement. This study identifies and describes current uses of EMR data for performance measurement and considerations to further its potential in the Canadian context. METHODS: We applied a qualitative case study design and descriptive assessment in three phases, consulting multiple data sources including scientific and grey literature, system leaders (n = 41), and clinician/researchers (n = 20). Phases included a multimethod approach to identify initiatives using EMR data for performance measurement across Canadian jurisdictions; in-depth review of current initiatives identified from a healthcare performance intelligence lens; and triangulation and thematic analysis across data sources to explore considerations for advancing performance measurement uses of EMR data in the Canadian context. RESULTS: Six initiatives of EMR data use for performance measurement were identified: one multi-jurisdictional; five jurisdiction-specific in the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario. EMR data uses were predominately for micro-level PHC physician and team performance improvement, with some use for meso-level organization/network-wide improvement. Indicator sets varied in number, though shared emphasis on chronic disease management and prevention/screening and to a lesser extent medication management. Key considerations for governing, resourcing and implementing EMR data for performance measurement were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of EMR data use for performance measurement varies across Canada. To further its potential, pan-Canadian data and privacy standards, performance intelligence competencies and renewed core PHC indicators should be prioritized. Experiences across countries, coupled with increasing momentum for performance measurement using real-world data, should be leveraged to avoid unnecessarily slow progress in Canada and abroad.

Exploring Changes to the Actionability of COVID-19 Dashboards Over the Course of 2020 in the Canadian Context: Descriptive Assessment and Expert Appraisal Study.

BACKGROUND: Public web-based COVID-19 dashboards are in use worldwide to communicate pandemic-related information. Actionability of dashboards, as a predictor of their potential use for data-driven decision-making, was assessed in a global study during the early stages of the pandemic. It revealed a widespread lack of features needed to support actionability. In view of the inherently dynamic nature of dashboards and their unprecedented speed of creation, the evolution of dashboards and changes to their actionability merit exploration. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore how COVID-19 dashboards evolved in the Canadian context during 2020 and whether the presence of actionability features changed over time. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive assessment of a pan-Canadian sample of COVID-19 dashboards (N=26), followed by an appraisal of changes to their actionability by a panel of expert scorers (N=8). Scorers assessed the dashboards at two points in time, July and November 2020, using an assessment tool informed by communication theory and health care performance intelligence. Applying the nominal group technique, scorers were grouped in panels of three, and evaluated the presence of the seven defined features of highly actionable dashboards at each time point. RESULTS: Improvements had been made to the dashboards over time. These predominantly involved data provision (specificity of geographic breakdowns, range of indicators reported, and explanations of data sources or calculations) and advancements enabled by the technologies employed (customization of time trends and interactive or visual chart elements). Further improvements in actionability were noted especially in features involving local-level data provision, time-trend reporting, and indicator management. No improvements were found in communicative elements (clarity of purpose and audience), while the use of storytelling techniques to narrate trends remained largely absent from the dashboards. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements to COVID-19 dashboards in the Canadian context during 2020 were seen mostly in data availability and dashboard technology. Further improving the actionability of dashboards for public reporting will require attention to both technical and organizational aspects of dashboard development. Such efforts would include better skill-mixing across disciplines, continued investment in data standards, and clearer mandates for their developers to ensure accountability and the development of purpose-driven dashboards.

Features Constituting Actionable COVID-19 Dashboards: Descriptive Assessment and Expert Appraisal of 158 Public Web-Based COVID-19 Dashboards.

BACKGROUND: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the development of dashboards as dynamic, visual tools for communicating COVID-19 data has surged worldwide. Dashboards can inform decision-making and support behavior change. To do so, they must be actionable. The features that constitute an actionable dashboard in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been rigorously assessed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the characteristics of public web-based COVID-19 dashboards by assessing their purpose and users ("why"), content and data ("what"), and analyses and displays ("how" they communicate COVID-19 data), and ultimately to appraise the common features of highly actionable dashboards. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive assessment and scoring using nominal group technique with an international panel of experts (n=17) on a global sample of COVID-19 dashboards in July 2020. The sequence of steps included multimethod sampling of dashboards; development and piloting of an assessment tool; data extraction and an initial round of actionability scoring; a workshop based on a preliminary analysis of the results; and reconsideration of actionability scores followed by joint determination of common features of highly actionable dashboards. We used descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to explore the findings by research question. RESULTS: A total of 158 dashboards from 53 countries were assessed. Dashboards were predominately developed by government authorities (100/158, 63.0%) and were national (93/158, 58.9%) in scope. We found that only 20 of the 158 dashboards (12.7%) stated both their primary purpose and intended audience. Nearly all dashboards reported epidemiological indicators (155/158, 98.1%), followed by health system management indicators (85/158, 53.8%), whereas indicators on social and economic impact and behavioral insights were the least reported (7/158, 4.4% and 2/158, 1.3%, respectively). Approximately a quarter of the dashboards (39/158, 24.7%) did not report their data sources. The dashboards predominately reported time trends and disaggregated data by two geographic levels and by age and sex. The dashboards used an average of 2.2 types of displays (SD 0.86); these were mostly graphs and maps, followed by tables. To support data interpretation, color-coding was common (93/158, 89.4%), although only one-fifth of the dashboards (31/158, 19.6%) included text explaining the quality and meaning of the data. In total, 20/158 dashboards (12.7%) were appraised as highly actionable, and seven common features were identified between them. Actionable COVID-19 dashboards (1) know their audience and information needs; (2) manage the type, volume, and flow of displayed information; (3) report data sources and methods clearly; (4) link time trends to policy decisions; (5) provide data that are "close to home"; (6) break down the population into relevant subgroups; and (7) use storytelling and visual cues. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 dashboards are diverse in the why, what, and how by which they communicate insights on the pandemic and support data-driven decision-making. To leverage their full potential, dashboard developers should consider adopting the seven actionability features identified.

Development of a web-based survey on the financial risks of unpaid caregiving: approach and lessons learned from a Canadian perspective.

Little is known about the financial risks of unpaid caregiving. This is, in part, due to challenges in identifying people who are caregivers and limitations in capturing all aspects of spending related to caregiving in existing approaches to public data collection. To fill these gaps, we developed a composite survey informed by validated instruments that assesses the types and magnitude of out-of-pocket expenditures caregivers incur in the provision of homebased care for someone living with a long-term health condition, and their impact across various domains of financial risk. This paper discusses the development of this survey currently in circulation in a Canadian province, and reflects on considerations in the engagement of unpaid caregivers in participatory research. Given its replicability and adaptability, this survey may inform future research in other developed or high-income settings and guide policy attention toward understanding how to protect unpaid caregivers from the financial risks of caring.

Improving Health System Efficiency: Perspectives of Decision-Makers.

While improving health system efficiency, or value for money, is a priority in Canada, there is little information about optimal approaches for improvement in the Canadian context. Through interviews with senior health system decision-makers from two provinces, this study conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information identified the following five main themes along with actions that can be taken to improve health system efficiency in Canada: performance monitoring for accountability and decision-making, system-level integration in governance and care delivery, partnerships outside the health sector to improve population health, physician engagement and remuneration and flexible funding. Future work could apply this framework to assess and compare progress towards health system efficiency in other jurisdictions.

Health-adjusted potential years of life lost due to treatable causes of death and illness.

BACKGROUND: Summary measures based on potential years of life lost (PYLL) to death and to illness would complement population health measures such as health-adjusted life expectancy. These measures can be applied to deaths and to conditions that are considered amenable to treatment by the health care system. DATA AND METHODS: Life tables for 2007 to 2009 were used to calculate health-adjusted potential years of life lost (HAPYLL) for males and females from birth to age 75 for Canada and the provinces. Mortality rates for all causes were adjusted using the Health Utility Index 3 (HUI3) as a measure of the average value of a year in ill health. Average HUI3 was calculated for each age group for selected health conditions self-reported in the 2009/2010 Canadian Community Health Survey. HAPYLL was estimated by adding the average number of years lost due to treatable causes of death (treatable PYLL) to the average number of years lost because of ill health (HUI3 gap). RESULTS: More years of life are lost because of ill health than are lost because of premature death. During the 2007-to-2009 period, age-/sex-standardized PYLL due to treatable causes of death was 1,257 years per 100,000 person-years, while the age-/sex-standardized HUI3 gap was 6,477 years. Provincial rankings change when information on deaths is combined with information on ill health. INTERPRETATION: The impact of treatable conditions is greater in terms of quality of life lost than in life-years lost.

Publicly financed healthcare and income inequality in Canada.

Income inequality is currently the focus of considerable public and policy attention. Public services such as healthcare and education play a role in reducing income inequality in the population. This study looks at how healthcare affects the distribution of income across five income groups. Specifically, it estimates the tax contributions and the value of benefits received from physician services, drugs and hospital services over a person's lifetime. We found that benefits received from publicly funded healthcare in Canada reduce the income gap between the highest- and lowest-income groups by 16%. This analysis provides a starting point for future research to explore the distributional effects of different options for financing healthcare.

Technology as a Fix for the Age-Old Challenge of Aging in Place?

Health system leaders, researchers and the public alike recognize the multiple and often tragic ways in which our health systems continue to fail older adults. We have long been aware of the demographic shifts in our population that are seeing an increasing percentage of the population over the age of 65 years; in fact, up to 30% of the Canadian population is projected to be over 65 years of age by the year 2068 (Statistics Canada 2022). However, we have not yet seen the system-wide adaptations and reforms to health systems to support people to maintain their health as they age.

Advancing 2S/LGBTQ+ Health Equity: A Call for Structural Action.

The social, mental, physical and sexual health of diverse Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual and gender minority (2S/LGBTQ+) populations across Canada and globally is under threat. In Canada, we are not immune to the rise in divisive and regressive policies and rhetoric that is negatively impacting the lives of 2S/LGBTQ+ people in the US and across the world (HRC Staff 2023; United Nations 2022). Make no mistake, the threats to the human rights and health of 2S/LGBTQ+ communities are growing in Canada as well (Benchetrit 2023). Health systems leaders and scholars can play a critical role in learning about, addressing and advocating for health equity for 2S/LGBTQ+ communities. This themed issue focuses on the urgency of addressing the social and structural determinants of health inequity for 2S/LGBTQ+ communities in a context of political volatility.

Do expenditures on public health reduce preventable mortality in the long run? Evidence from the Canadian provinces.

BACKGROUND: Investments in public health - prevention of illnesses, and promotion, surveillance, and protection of population health - may improve population health, however, effects may only be observed over a long period of time. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential long-run relationship between expenditures on public health and avoidable mortality from preventable causes. METHODS: We focused on the country spending the most on public health in the OECD, Canada. We constructed a longitudinal dataset on mortality, health care expenditures and socio-demographic information covering years 1979-2017 for the ten Canadian provinces. We estimated error correction models for panel data to disentangle short-from long-run relationships between expenditures on public health and avoidable mortality from preventable causes. We further explored some specific causes of mortality to understand potential drivers. For comparison, we also estimated the short-run relationship between curative expenditures and avoidable mortality from treatable causes. RESULTS: We find evidence of a long-run relationship between expenditures on public health and preventable mortality, and no consistent short-run associations between these two variables. Findings suggest that a 1% increase in expenditures on public health could lead to 0.22% decrease in preventable mortality. Reductions in preventable mortality are greater for males (-0.29%) compared to females (-0.09%). These results are robust to different specifications. Reductions in some cancer and cardiovascular deaths are among the probable drivers of this overall decrease. By contrast, we do not find evidence of a consistent short-run relationship between curative expenditures and treatable mortality, except for males. CONCLUSION: This study supports the argument that expenditures on public health reap health benefits primarily in the long run, which, in this case, represents a reduction in avoidable mortality from preventable causes. Reducing public health expenditures on the premise that they have no immediate measurable benefits might thus harm population health outcomes in the long run.

Mitigating the regressivity of private mechanisms of financing healthcare: An Assessment of 29 countries.

Progressive financing of health care can help advance the equity and financial protection goals of health systems. All countries' health systems are financed in part through private mechanisms, including out-of-pocket payments and voluntary health insurance. Yet little is known about how these financing schemes are structured, and the extent to which policies in place mitigate regressivity. This study identifies the potential policies to mitigate regressivity in private financing, builds two qualitative tools to comparatively assess regressivity of these two sources of revenue, and applies this tool to a selection of 29 high-income countries. It provides new evidence on the variations in policy approaches taken, and resultant regressivity, of private mechanisms of financing health care. These results inform a comprehensive assessment of progressivity of health systems financing, considering all revenue streams, that appears in this special section of the journal.