Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada
Abstract Background and rationale As general health care is publicly funded in Canada and oral health care is not, many people seek care from hospitals for their dental problems. This study assessed if the unprecedented times of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affected the hospital visits for dental...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | BMC Research Notes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-023-06380-5 |
| _version_ | 1797752862439112704 |
|---|---|
| author | Sonica Singhal Badal Dhar Nardin Ayoub Carlos Quiñonez |
| author_facet | Sonica Singhal Badal Dhar Nardin Ayoub Carlos Quiñonez |
| author_sort | Sonica Singhal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background and rationale As general health care is publicly funded in Canada and oral health care is not, many people seek care from hospitals for their dental problems. This study assessed if the unprecedented times of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affected the hospital visits for dental emergencies, making disadvantaged populations further vulnerable for attendance of their dental problems. Methods Data from IntelliHealth Ontario for emergency department (ED) visits, day surgery visits, and hospitalizations associated with non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) were retrieved for years 2016 to 2020 to assess trends before COVID-19 and changes, if any, for the year 2020. Trends by month, for the years 2019 and 2020, to make straight comparisons and understand the effects of lockdown in Ontario, was also analyzed. Results In the year 2020, there was a reduction of 40% in day surgeries, 21% in ED visits and 8% in hospitalizations compared to 2019. Stratified by month, largest reductions were observed in April 2020: 96% in day surgeries; 50% in ED visits; and 38% reductions in hospitalizations when compared to the same month of 2019. In May 2020, day surgeries and ED visits though remained reduced, hospitalization rates increased by 31%. Conclusion Hospital EDs are inefficient avenues for handling dental emergencies. Nevertheless, they do remain a care setting that is sought by many for dental problems, and if the need for hospitalization and day surgery is there, this care setting is an important avenue for dentally related medical care. Perhaps unsurprisingly, COVID-19 has lessened the opportunity and capacity for such care. Practical implications Administrators and policy makers can utilize this information to strategize on augmenting community infrastructure for building more effective, and cost-efficient avenues of care for timely management of dental problems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:10:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c73df63f86514cbab1f3b5efd1c68f3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:10:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Research Notes |
| spelling | doaj.art-c73df63f86514cbab1f3b5efd1c68f3e2023-08-06T11:05:55ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002023-08-011611810.1186/s13104-023-06380-5Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, CanadaSonica Singhal0Badal Dhar1Nardin Ayoub2Carlos Quiñonez3Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Department, Public Health OntarioData and Information Management Services, Public Health OntarioDepartment of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier UniversitySchulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western UniversityAbstract Background and rationale As general health care is publicly funded in Canada and oral health care is not, many people seek care from hospitals for their dental problems. This study assessed if the unprecedented times of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) affected the hospital visits for dental emergencies, making disadvantaged populations further vulnerable for attendance of their dental problems. Methods Data from IntelliHealth Ontario for emergency department (ED) visits, day surgery visits, and hospitalizations associated with non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDCs) were retrieved for years 2016 to 2020 to assess trends before COVID-19 and changes, if any, for the year 2020. Trends by month, for the years 2019 and 2020, to make straight comparisons and understand the effects of lockdown in Ontario, was also analyzed. Results In the year 2020, there was a reduction of 40% in day surgeries, 21% in ED visits and 8% in hospitalizations compared to 2019. Stratified by month, largest reductions were observed in April 2020: 96% in day surgeries; 50% in ED visits; and 38% reductions in hospitalizations when compared to the same month of 2019. In May 2020, day surgeries and ED visits though remained reduced, hospitalization rates increased by 31%. Conclusion Hospital EDs are inefficient avenues for handling dental emergencies. Nevertheless, they do remain a care setting that is sought by many for dental problems, and if the need for hospitalization and day surgery is there, this care setting is an important avenue for dentally related medical care. Perhaps unsurprisingly, COVID-19 has lessened the opportunity and capacity for such care. Practical implications Administrators and policy makers can utilize this information to strategize on augmenting community infrastructure for building more effective, and cost-efficient avenues of care for timely management of dental problems.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-023-06380-5Access to careEmergency department visitsDay surgeriesHospitalizationsNon-traumatic dental conditionsCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Sonica Singhal Badal Dhar Nardin Ayoub Carlos Quiñonez Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada BMC Research Notes Access to care Emergency department visits Day surgeries Hospitalizations Non-traumatic dental conditions COVID-19 |
| title | Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada |
| title_full | Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada |
| title_fullStr | Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada |
| title_short | Impact of COVID-19 on hospital visits for non-traumatic dental conditions in Ontario, Canada |
| title_sort | impact of covid 19 on hospital visits for non traumatic dental conditions in ontario canada |
| topic | Access to care Emergency department visits Day surgeries Hospitalizations Non-traumatic dental conditions COVID-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-023-06380-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonicasinghal impactofcovid19onhospitalvisitsfornontraumaticdentalconditionsinontariocanada AT badaldhar impactofcovid19onhospitalvisitsfornontraumaticdentalconditionsinontariocanada AT nardinayoub impactofcovid19onhospitalvisitsfornontraumaticdentalconditionsinontariocanada AT carlosquinonez impactofcovid19onhospitalvisitsfornontraumaticdentalconditionsinontariocanada |