Canada falling behind other countries
After over 30 years writing about our “system,” writer Andre Picard believes Canada’s health-care system is better today than when he first started writing about it, but so are our expectations much higher.
In his 2017 book “Matters of Life and Death,” a collection of some of his best articles, Picard describes a system that he concludes is not adapting fast enough to profound changes in demographics, technology and medicine. We might take pride in having better health coverage than the Americans, but we fall behind nearly every other developed country that have better, fairer, and cheaper health care.
His commentary reflects current sentiment that we must continue the transition to a patient-centered model of teambased health delivery supported by a move to electronic medical records, increased coverage for prescription drugs and home care, and a stronger focus on preventative measures for people suffering from challenges related to mental health and addictions. He also argues that our healthcare system needs to put “our money where our mouth is” and expand dental care coverage for all Canadians, especially for those most in financial need.
Picard notes the high cost of healthcare and suggest that we as a society need to make some “tough choices.” He asserts that many “interventions are of dubious value or are not cost-effective” and we should instead pay more attention to the small number of patients with complex needs that account for half of all healthcare spending.
In regards to increasing revenue he argues for an equitable introduction of user fees and co-payments, saying “one of the most important lessons we should take from some European health-care schemes is that we need a combination of a well-regulated private system and a well-managed public system.”
As to lifestyle and social determinants of health he covers the usual admonishments of stop smoking, eat well, make physical activity part of your everyday life, limit stress, drink only in moderation, use sun block, practice safer sex, wear your seatbelt and don’t speed.
He ends the book with a different list of tips from University of Victoria professor Joan Wharf Higgins: Don’t be poor. Pick your parents well. Graduate from high school or, better yet, university. Don’t work at a stressful, low-paid job. Find a job where you have decisionmaking power and control. Learn to control stress levels. Be able to afford a foreign holiday and sunbathe (with SPF 30). Don’t be unemployed. Leave in a community where you have a sense of belonging. Don’t live in a ghetto, near a major road or near a polluting factory. Learn to make friends and keep them.
A good book and well worth the read.