ArticleCMAJ open
The ecology of medical care for adults in Alberta, 2002/03 to 2016/17: a retrospective cohort study.
Article in CMAJ open. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Ecology of Medical Care in Shanghai: Temporal Trends and International Comparisons.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2025Article
- Acute Care Use by Breast Cancer Patients on Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Alberta: Demonstrating the Importance of Measurement to Improving Quality.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2021Article
- Article
- Informing COVID-19 vaccination priorities based on the prevalence of risk factors among adults in Canada.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIf we are to improve the patient experience, knowing where and with whom people receive professional health advice and treatment (the ecology of medical care) is the first step. We designed this study to define the ecology of medical care in Alberta and to examine whether province-wide implementation of 5 policy changes between 2003 and 2012 changed patterns of care among adults in the province.
methodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of adults (age ≥ 18 yr) in Alberta using routinely collected data from 6 linked administrative health databases, the 2016 Canadian Community Health Survey and the Alberta Health Link teletriage system. We collected data on all encounters with pharmacists, primary care physicians, specialists, emergency departments and hospitals in 2002/03, 2009/10 and 2016/17.
resultsBetween 2002/03 and 2016/17, the community-dwelling adult population of Alberta increased from 2.66 million to 3.84 million; the median age increased from 41 to 43 years, and the proportion with at least 1 ambulatory-care-sensitive condition increased from 20.6% to 27.8%. The proportion who saw a primary care physician decreased significantly (from 70.8% to 68.2%,
interpretationDespite implementation of 5 system-wide changes designed to affect the delivery of primary and specialty medical care as well as the use of pharmacist and nursing services in Alberta, patterns of health care delivery changed little between 2002/03 and 2016/17. Rather than searching for a policy "magic bullet," health care planners may be better served by focusing on upscaling and implementing interventions proven to be efficacious.
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