ArticlePloS one2023
The impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare system resource use and costs in two provinces in Canada: An interrupted time series analysis.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- How 'Cracks' in Canada's Public Services System Manifested as Moral (Di)Stress or Resilience for Emergency Management Personnel During COVID-19: A Critical Realist Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Trends and inequities in primary and emergency care use among older adults in British Columbia: an analysis across age, sex, income, and rurality (2018-2023).International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Prescription patterns of inhaler medications from 2017 to 2023: A retrospective study using Ontario administrative healthcare data.PloS one · 2026Article
- Trends of incident stimulant use disorder diagnoses before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia (2013-2024): a population-based study.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Oral corticosteroid overexposure: characterizing oral corticosteroid use in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polypS in Canada (ACTIONS) results.Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology · 2025Article
- Refugee healthcare resilience and burdens: a 10-year mixed-methods analysis of system shocks in Canada.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2025Article
- Trends in prescription opioid use for pain in Canada: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study of 6 provinces.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2025Article
- Two-year retrospective review of costs associated with COVID-19 case management in Regina, Saskatchewan.Health economics review · 2025Article
- Opportunities Offered by Telemedicine in the Care of Patients Affected by Fractures and Critical Issues: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Changes in Dialysis Practice Patterns in Australia and New Zealand During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period.Nephrology (Carlton, Vic.) · 2025Observational
- Research Participation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Studies: What Do Patients Want?Crohn's & colitis 360 · 2025Article
- Population-Based Matched Cohort Study of COVID-19 Healthcare Costs, Ontario, Canada.Emerging infectious diseases · 2025Article
- Reducing Hospitalisations With a Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Clinic.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2025Article
- Article
- Increased Severity of Multidrug-Resistant Shigella sonnei Infections in People Experiencing Homelessness.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health services utilisation and mortality in Ontario, Canada: an interrupted time series analysis.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health and Health Care Experience in Those With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.International journal of women's health · 2025Article
- Addressing Healthcare Waiting Time Challenges in Canada: Insights From Emerging Initiatives.International journal of health policy and management · 2025Article
- Turbulence in the system: Higher rates of left-without-being-seen emergency department visits and associations with increased risks of adverse patient outcomes since 2020.Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
19 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThe aim of our study was to assess the initial impact of COVID-19 on total publicly-funded direct healthcare costs and health services use in two Canadian provinces, Ontario and British Columbia (BC).
methodsThis retrospective repeated cross-sectional study used population-based administrative datasets, linked within each province, from January 1, 2018 to December 27, 2020. Interrupted time series analysis was used to estimate changes in the level and trends of weekly resource use and costs, with March 16-22, 2020 as the first pandemic week. Also, in each week of 2020, we identified cases with their first positive SARS-CoV-2 test and estimated their healthcare costs until death or December 27, 2020.
resultsThe resources with the largest level declines (95% confidence interval) in use in the first pandemic week compared to the previous week were physician services [Ontario: -43% (-49%,-37%); BC: -24% (-30%,-19%) (both p<0.001)] and emergency department visits [Ontario: -41% (-47%,-35%); BC: -29% (-35%,-23%) (both p<0.001)]. Hospital admissions declined by 27% (-32%,-23%) in Ontario and 21% (-26%,-16%) in BC (both p<0.001). Resource use subsequently rose but did not return to pre-pandemic levels. Only home care and dialysis clinic visits did not significantly decrease compared to pre-pandemic. Costs for COVID-19 cases represented 1.3% and 0.7% of total direct healthcare costs in 2020 in Ontario and BC, respectively.
conclusionsReduced utilization of healthcare services in the overall population outweighed utilization by COVID-19 patients in 2020. Meeting the needs of all patients across all services is essential to maintain resilient healthcare systems.
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