Alternate level care (ALC) patients – those whose needs could be more appropriately met outside of a hospital setting – account for more hospital bed days than the top 10 high-volume inpatient surgeries in Canada combined. In a similar vein, ALC volumes are equivalent to acute care bed occupancy for the combination of neurocognitive disorders, giving birth, heart failure, COVID-19, COPD, and bronchitis. Improving healthcare integration and access to community care is critical to addressing hospital capacity challenges. To learn more about hospital challenges and capacity-enhancing innovation, please see related C.D. Howe Institute research.
