TABLE 1.

Total population and patient sampling

	Quartile				Total
	1	2	3	4
Sampling frame
Acute care hospitals in Quebec	24	23	25	25	97
Discharges per hospital with a principal diagnosis of COPD*	<69	69–128	129–260	≥261	–
Patients with a principal diagnosis of COPD*	682	1661	2999	6625	11,967
Sample
Hospitals	10	10	10	10	40
Patients	67	167	303	687	1224

Data presented as n.

^*Between April 1, 2003 and March 31, 2004. COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease