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Evidence to Improve Care

Specialized Community-Based Care


Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee Recommendations

  • Access to specialized community-based care (intermediate care) should be made available for patients with chronic diseases, and whose diseases are becoming uncontrollable despite primary care

  • Recognizing that primary care is the optimal way of treating and coordinating the care of patients with co-morbidities, patients should be returned to primary care for further follow-up with the revised treatment plan once they have been stabilized through intermediate care access

Read the full OHTAC Recommendation Report



Specialized community-based care, often referred to as intermediate care, is care provided to people with long-term (chronic) illnesses who need more than basic care, but do not require intensive care. There is convincing evidence specialized community-based care improves outcomes in patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes.


Health Quality Ontario Reviews Specialized Community-Based Care

Health Quality Ontario conducted a series of evidence reviews of specialized community-based care to:

  • Review the literature on specialized community-based care for chronic diseases

  • Gather the evidence from previous analyses of specialized community-based care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure, diabetes and chronic wounds

  • Examine the role of intermediate care within family practice


    • Specialized Community-Based Care: An Evidence-Based Analysis (PDF)
    November 2012

    Community-Based Multidisciplinary Care for Patients With Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): An Evidence-Based Analysis (PDF)
    March 2012


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    The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care endorses these recommendations.

    The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided the following response: The Ministry agrees with these recommendations and encourages health service providers to examine opportunities to implement specialized community-based care. The Ministry is working with system partners to examine implementation opportunities.


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