title: Alternative level of care: Canada's hospital beds, the evidence and options.
abstract: Patients designated as alternative level of care (ALC) are an ongoing concern for healthcare policy makers across Canada. These patients occupy valuable hospital beds and limit access to acute care services. The objective of this paper is to present policy alternatives to address underlying factors associated with ALC bed use. Three alternatives, and their respective limitations and structural challenges, are discussed. Potential solutions may require a mix of policy options proposed here. Inadequate policy jeopardizes new acute care activity-based funding schemes in British Columbia and Ontario. Failure to address this issue could exacerbate pressures on the existing bottlenecks in the community care system in these and other provinces.
authors: Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.
authors: Jason M
authors: JM
authors: Sutherland
authors: R Trafford
authors: RT
authors: Crump
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D057191:Capacity Building; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive / Q000458:organization & administration; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000600:supply & distribution
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