Background: Previous studies have shown reductions in the volume of emergency department visits early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have evaluated the pandemic’s impact over time or stratified analyses by reason for visits. We aimed to quantify such changes in British Columbia, Canada, cumulatively and during prominent nadirs, and by reason for visit, age and acuity.
Methods: We included data from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System for 30 emergency departments across BC from January 2016 to December 2022. We fitted generalized additive models, accounting for seasonal and annual trends, to the monthly number of visits to estimate changes throughout the pandemic, compared with the expected number of visits in the absence of the pandemic. We determined absolute and relative differences at various times during the study period, and cumulatively since the start of the pandemic until the overall volume of emergency department visits returned to expected levels.
Results: Ov
Gut Microbes, scientists have uncovered the surprising role that air pollution in cities can play in altering gut bacteria and increasing diabetes risk.
“In diabetes care, we focus on the whole person. What is their environment? How do they live? Where do they live?” says Melissa Young, PharmD, BC-ADM, CDCES, a clinical pharmacist and spokesperson for the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES). Dr. Young provides telehealth primary care for the Department of Veterans Affairs across several states, including Colorado and Idaho.
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Lancet Planetary Health. An estimated 3.2 million cases of diabetes globally could be attributed to elevated air pollution in 2016, with increasing burden falling on people living in low- and lower- to middle-income countries.