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Ottawa COPD Risk Scale could save Ontario $115M over 3 years


February 18, 2015

An economic analysis recently published by the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) finds that the Ottawa COPD Risk Scale, developed by Dr. Ian Stiell and colleagues, could save Ontario’s health-care system as much as $115M over three years. The decision tool improves patient safety by identifying those patients in Emergency with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) who need to be admitted to hospital and those who could safely be sent home. The Ottawa COPD Risk Scale, published by CMAJ in 2014 (see release), is one of two innovations from The Ottawa Hospital selected by CAHO for detailed economic analysis (the other analysis, still in progress, is on Dr. Jeff Perry’s decision rule for subarachnoid hemorrhage). Our two recently hired health economists, Dr. Kednapa Thavorn and Chris Cameron, provided an economic perspective that helped convince CAHO to champion these innovations.

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Media contact
Paddy Moore
Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-737-8899 x73687
613-323-5680 (cell)
padmoore@ohri.ca