Impact of physician-based palliative care delivery models on health care utilization outcomes: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: Increasing involvement of palliative care generalists may improve access to palliative care. It is unknown, however, if their involvement with and without palliative care specialists are associated with different outcomes.

Aim: To describe physician-based models of palliative care and their association with healthcare utilization outcomes including: emergency department visits, acute hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in last 30 days of life; and, place of death.

Five-year risk of admission to long-term care home and death for older adults given a new diagnosis of dementia: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: After diagnosis of a health condition, information about survival and potential transition from community into institutional care can be helpful for patients and care providers. We sought to describe the association between a new diagnosis of dementia and risk of admission to a long-term care home and death at 5 years.

Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using linked health administrative databases.

Access to cannabis retail stores across Canada 6 months following legalization: a descriptive study.

Background: On Oct. 17, 2018, Canada legalized recreational cannabis with the dual goals of reducing youth use and eliminating the illicit cannabis market. We examined factors associated with access to physical cannabis stores across Canada 6 months following legalization.

Factors influencing the reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding.

Objectives: To explore the reasons why women stop breastfeeding completely before their infants are six months of age and to identify the factors associated with cessation and the timing of cessation.

Methods: For all singleton live newborns born between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 in two district health authorities in Nova Scotia, Canada, mother's self-reported breastfeeding status was collected at hospital discharge and at five follow-up visits until infants were six months of age. Mothers who stopped breastfeeding before six months were also questioned about the time of weaning and the reason they discontinued all breastfeeding.

Rates and determinants of exclusive breastfeeding in first 6 months among women in Nova Scotia: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Despite compelling evidence that exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life provides important health benefits to both mothers and their infants, most mothers do not follow this practice. We conducted a study to identify predictors of early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding (before 6 months after delivery).

Methods: For this population-based longitudinal cohort study, we linked data from a perinatal database and a public health database for infants born between 2006 and 2009 in 2 regions in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Tracheostomy decannulation and cough peak flows in patients with neuromuscular weakness.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between cough peak flows (CPFs) before and after tracheostomy tube removal (decannulation) in patients with neuromuscular respiratory muscle weakness.

Design: For 26 patients with occluded tracheostomies (capped or Passy-Muir valve), spontaneous CPF (CPF(sp)), CPF after lung volume recruitment (CPF(LVR)), and CPF after lung volume recruitment and a manually assisted cough (CPF(LVR) + MAC) were measured before and after decannulation.

Results: Decannulation resulted in a significant increase (P < 0.