HTA Details
Specialized Community-Based Care
- Publication date
-
2012-November-01
- Status
- Final
- Topic Area
- Home and Community Care
- Recommendation
-
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
- Ministry Response
-
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care endorses these recommendations.
-
To read the full OHTAC Recommendation Report for this topic, contact our Health Innovation team using the contact form to request a digital copy.
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.
Ontario Health 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
Last Updated: February 24, 2026
