Antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infection across a national primary care network in 2019.

Background: Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is the leading reason for avoidable antimicrobial use in primary care, yet provider-level feedback on its use is only available in some provinces. The aim of this study was to validate case definitions for RTI across the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) and determine baseline provider-level variability in antimicrobial prescribing in 2019.

Methods: The RTI case definitions were developed using demographic, diagnostic coding and keywords in electronic medical record.

Identifying Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) for Routine Surveillance of Physical and Emotional Symptoms in Head and Neck Cancer Populations: A Systematic Review.

The aims of this review were to identify symptoms experienced by head and neck cancer (HNC) patients and their prevalence, as well as to compare symptom coverage identified in HNC specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Searches of Ovid Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, and CINAHL were conducted to identify studies. The search revealed 4569 unique articles and identified 115 eligible studies.

Cancer Care Ontario's Systematic Symptom Screening Strategy: A Human-Centred Design Approach to Exploring System Gaps and Defining Strategies for the Future.

Cancer patients experience a high symptom burden throughout their illness. Quality cancer symptom management has been shown to improve patient quality of life and prevent emergency department use. Cancer Care Ontario introduced standardized symptom screening in Ontario, using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) to facilitate patient reporting and management of symptoms.

Surgical waiting times for ocular and periocular cancer patients in Toronto.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical waiting times experienced by intraocular and periocular cancer patients in Toronto and to assess the period of greatest delay between certain stages of ocular cancer care.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on cases of adult patients who underwent surgery between January 2002 and December 2004 for malignant or premalignant tumours of the eye and ocular adnexa. Waiting time intervals were calculated between 5 time points: initial presentation to referring physician or optometrist, date of referral to oculoplastics or ocular oncology, initial assessment, consent date, and surgery date.