Sex Differences in High-Cost Users of Healthcare for Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Healthcare resource use for atrial fibrillation (AF) is high, but it may not be equivalent across all patients. We examined whether sex differences exist for AF high-cost users (HCUs), who account for the top 10% of total acute care costs.

Methods: All patients aged ≥ 20 years who presented to the emergency department (ED) or were hospitalized with AF were identified in Alberta, Canada, between 2011 and 2015.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease in a Population-Based Cohort of High-Cost Healthcare Services Users.

Background: Data are limited data on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and multimorbidity in contemporary cohorts of high-cost users (HCUs) in Canada.We examined the following: (i) the prevalence of CVD, with a comparison of total healthcare costs among HCUs with vs without CVD; (ii) the contribution of other comorbidities to costs among HCUs with CVD; and (iii) the trajectory of healthcare costs in the years before and after becoming an HCU.

Methods: The study included adult Alberta patients in the Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canadian Institute for Health Information Dynamic Cohort of Complex, High System Users from 2011-2012 through 2014-2015.

Managing health professional migration from sub-Saharan Africa to Canada: a stakeholder inquiry into policy options.

Background: Canada is a major recipient of foreign-trained health professionals, notably physicians from South Africa and other sub-Saharan African countries. Nurse migration from these countries, while comparatively small, is rising. African countries, meanwhile, have a critical shortage of professionals and a disproportionate burden of disease.