August 23-29
NEW STUDY—Public Funding for Private For-Profit Centres and Access to Cataract Surgery by Patient Socioeconomic Status: An Ontario Population-Based Study?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario increased public funding for cataract surgeries at private for-profit centres to address surgical delays. A recent study reveals this move disproportionately benefited patients receiving cataract surgery within the highest socioeconomic status quintile, whereas, for patients in the lowest socioeconomic status quintile fell at private centres. Conversely, public hospitals saw even more of a decline across all income levels, highlighting persistent disparities in access to care and raising concerns about healthcare equity.?
NEW STUDY—Patients Report High Information Coordination Between Rostered Primary Care Physicians and Specialists: A Cross-Sectional Study?
A recent study in Ontario examined how well primary care physicians and specialists share information and the impact on patient experiences. The analysis, which linked health data with patient surveys from 2013 to 2020, found that 7.5% of patients felt specialists lacked basic information from their primary care doctor, while 14.9% thought their primary care physician was uninformed about specialist care. The study indicated that patients under the enhanced fee-for-service model reported poorer coordination compared to those with Family Health Teams, although overall coordination was generally high.?
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NEW STUDY—Longer-Term Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)-Related Healthcare: A Province-Based Study?
A recent study assessed the recovery of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) services in Ontario after major disruptions early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of health data from March 2020 to December 2022 showed that while outpatient visits for OSA have returned to expected levels, rates for polysomnograms and positive airway pressure therapy remain below pre-pandemic projections, leading to a significant backlog of 193,078 PSGs and 57,321 PAP claims. The continued decline in service rates underscores the need for more adaptable OSA care models and better use of portable technologies to manage the backlog and enhance treatment access.?
Webinar Recording Now Available!
On May 28, ICES released a new report, Equity and Inclusion in Pregnancy Care: Report on the Pregnancy Outcomes and Health Care Experiences of People with Disabilities in Ontario.?
In this webinar recording, the research team described their findings of the Disability and Pregnancy Study, which showed avoidable pregnancy-related health disparities and barriers to care for people with disabilities. They also identified recommendations to make pregnancy care more equitable and inclusive, through specific actions to modify health care system structures and processes; increase service-provider knowledge and resources; develop accessible patient supports; and strengthen the scientific evidence base.?
With an expert panel that includes researchers, people with lived experience of disability, and health and social service providers, the team will discuss next steps in creating an accessible pregnancy care system that considers the needs of people with disabilities.?
?#ICESOntario in the news!
Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi, our senior adjunct scientist, shared his insights on the closure of over half of Ontario's supervised drug-consumption sites during an appearance on CBC's Ontario Today.?
Tune in to the episode here!