The number of patients in the denominator discharged from acute care hospitals after an admission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had at least one doctor visit within 7 days after discharge.

The follow-up data are received in the following sub-categories:

• By any health care provider
• By primary care physician (GP/FP)
• By specialist (respiratory specialist)

Inclusions:

1. Ontario physician visits taking place in office, home or long-term care (would capture most of the follow-up (planned) visits in emergency department).
2. Physician visits occurring between days 0 to 7 post-discharge (i.e., includes date of discharge).*

*If a patient’s discharge time was before 8am, the OHIP visit was counted on day 0, otherwise the visit was not counted on the same day as it is impossible to distinguish if the visit happened before or after discharge.

Exclusions:

1. Negated OHIP claims, duplicate claims and lab claims.
2. Records with missing or invalid data on discharge/admission date, health number, age and gender.

The number of patients aged 40 and older discharged from hospital after an admission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Inclusions:

• Discharges from acute care hospitals with discharge date in the reporting period
• Admission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (ICD10 codes J41, J42, J43, J44)
• Diagnosis type = "M" (main)
• Discharged home

Exclusions:

• Patients under age 40
• Deaths, acute transfers, patient sign-outs against medical advice
• Records with missing or invalid data on discharge/admission date, health number, age and sex
• Transfers to hospital or other care settings (palliative care/hospice, addiction treatment centre...) as defined by discharge disposition ‘01’, ‘03’

Direct age- and sex-adjusted using 2011 Canadian census population

Age groups are: 40-64, 65-79, 80+