Table 2.
Characteristics of first-contact hospital admissions by perioda.
| Characteristics | Pre–virtual care period (March 1, 2009-February 29, 2020; n=13,603; approximately 103 per mo) | TBCb period (June 1, 2020-November 31, 2022; n=2876; approximately 96 per mo) | SMDc—TBC vs pre–virtual care period | PBCd period (December 1, 2022-February 29, 2024; n=1222; approximately 81 per mo) | SMD—PBC vs pre–virtual care period | |
| Age (y) | ||||||
|
|
Mean (SD) | 18.46 (3.29) | 18.46 (3.54) | <0.01 | 18.48 (3.57) | 0.01 |
|
|
Median (IQR) | 18 (16-21) | 19 (16-21) | 0.01 | 18 (16-22) | 0.01 |
| Age group (y), n (%) | ||||||
|
|
10-17 | 5683 (41.8) | 1191 (41.4) | 0.01 | 516 (42.2) | 0.01 |
|
|
18-24 | 7920 (58.2) | 1685 (58.6) | 0.01 | 706 (57.8) | 0.01 |
| Sex, n (%) | ||||||
|
|
Female | 7019 (51.6) | 1588 (55.2) | 0.07 | 653 (53.4) | 0.04 |
|
|
Male | 6584 (48.4) | 1288 (44.8) | 0.07 | 569 (46.6) | 0.04 |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | ||||||
|
|
Any self-harm | 2933 (21.6) | 599 (20.8) | 0.02 | 256 (20.9) | 0.01 |
|
|
Mood disorder without self-harm | 7782 (57.2) | 1604 (55.8) | 0.03 | 670 (54.8) | 0.05 |
|
|
Psychosis without self-harm | 2888 (21.2) | 673 (23.4) | 0.05 | 296 (24.2) | 0.07 |
| Immigration status, n (%) | ||||||
|
|
Resettled refugee or protected person and other immigrantse | 471 (3.5) | 137 (4.8) | 0.07 | 66 (5.4) | 0.09 |
|
|
Sponsored family immigrants | 392 (2.9) | 87 (3) | 0.01 | 42 (3.4) | 0.03 |
|
|
Economic immigrants | 712 (5.2) | 169 (5.9) | 0.03 | 70 (5.7) | 0.02 |
|
|
Long-term residents | 12,028 (88.4) | 2483 (86.3) | 0.06 | 1044 (85.4) | 0.09 |
| Time of residence in Ontario (y), n (%) | ||||||
|
|
<5 | 713 (5.2) | 233 (8.1) | 0.11 f | 132 (10.8) | 0.21 |
|
|
5-10 | 633 (4.7) | 145 (5) | 0.02 | 88 (7.2) | 0.11 |
|
|
>10 | 12,257 (90.1) | 2498 (86.9) | 0.10 | 1002 (82) | 0.24 |
| Material resource quintile, n (%) | ||||||
|
|
1 (highest) | 1969 (14.5) | 389 (13.5) | 0.03 | 158 (12.9) | 0.04 |
|
|
2 | 2206 (16.2) | 516 (17.9) | 0.05 | 172 (14.1) | 0.06 |
|
|
3 | 2371 (17.4) | 528 (18.4) | 0.02 | 240 (19.6) | 0.06 |
|
|
4 | 2721 (20) | 503 (17.5) | 0.06 | 225 (18.4) | 0.04 |
|
|
5 (lowest) | 3728 (27.4) | 801 (27.9) | 0.01 | 360 (29.5) | 0.05 |
|
|
Missing | 608 (4.5) | 139 (4.8) | 0.02 | 67 (5.5) | 0.05 |
| Rurality, n (%) | ||||||
|
|
Rural | 2032 (14.9) | 393 (13.7) | 0.04 | 153 (12.5) | 0.07 |
|
|
Urban | 11,519 (84.7) | 2467 (85.8) | 0.03 | 1060 (86.7) | 0.06 |
|
|
Missing | 52 (0.4) | 16 (0.6) | 0.03 | 9 (0.7) | 0.05 |
| Primary care attachmentg, n (%) | ||||||
|
|
Uncertainly attached, not receiving primary care services | 1729 (12.7) | 467 (16.2) | 0.10 | 227 (18.6) | 0.16 |
|
|
Uncertainly attached, receiving primary care services | 593 (4.4) | 111 (3.9) | 0.03 | 57 (4.7) | 0.01 |
|
|
Attached | 11,108 (81.7) | 2256 (78.4) | 0.08 | 916 (75) | 0.16 |
|
|
Missing | 173 (1.3) | 42 (1.5) | 0.02 | 22 (1.8) | 0.04 |
aTable S1 in Multimedia Appendix 1 provides additional information on variable definitions. Parts of this material are based on data and/or information compiled and provided by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada current to September 2024.
bTBC: temporary billing code.
cSMD: standardized mean difference.
dPBC: permanent billing code.
e“Protected person” refers to an individual granted refugee protection as a Convention refugee (individuals meeting the 1951 Geneva Convention definition of a refugee) or as a person in need of protection under Canadian law. Other immigrants are largely family members of refugees. They comprised <0.5% of the study population.
fItalicized values indicate meaningful differences between periods (standardized mean difference≥0.1).
g“Primary care attachment” refers to affiliation of a patient with a regular primary care provider (enrolled with a primary care physician, clinic, or center or having continuity of care with a given primary care physician). Uncertain attachment refers to patients who are unaffiliated with a primary care provider. Table S1 in Multimedia Appendix 1 provides additional information.