About 1 in 30 hospital patients leave the hospital before completing their treatment. These are known as ‘before medically advised’ (BMA) discharges. These patients are at a much higher risk of death, being readmitted to the hospital, or suffering from a drug overdose. Despite these risks, there are no established care guidelines for how to manage these patients, many of whom struggle with addictions and homelessness. To address this, the study will first examine whether the proportion of patients with BMA discharge has increased in Canada over the past 16 years. Next, the study will use data from British Columbia to explore whether proactive follow-up by a physician within 7 days of discharge can help reduce the risk of death, readmission, or overdose, compared to not having any follow-up. The goal is to create better care strategies for these vulnerable patients. The results will be shared with hospital staff, administrators, and the public to improve patient care.
Award Partner: Health Quality BC
Economic evaluation of the administrative burden of family physicians in British Columbia
Family physicians (FPs) are the first point of contact in the community, providing comprehensive care as an integral part of the healthcare system. However, twenty percent of Canadians cannot access a regular FP, which does not meet the population’s needs and is an unfair service distribution. FPs are being challenged by the growing demand on their time for administrative tasks, which impacts their well-being. Third-party forms such as sick notes and disability forms place an unnecessary burden on the health care system, particularly with staff shortages, and they take away from the time FPs spend with patients. This research project will evaluate strategies to reduce FPs’ administrative burden, potentially increasing patient appointments and improving FPs’ workflow and work-life balance. The economic evidence generated from this research will strengthen policy arguments and guide decisions on reducing administrative burden.
This project was funded by the Health System Impact Fellowship from CIHR and is being conducted in partnership with Health Research BC. The doctoral student leading this project is Hayley Lawrence from the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. She will work with Dr. Craig Mitton, whose research focuses on applying health economics to impact health policy, and Christina Krause from Health Quality BC.