Health system in need of solutions: Philpott

VANCOUVER — Canada needs innovative solutions to improve home and primary health care so it can match other countries including Britain and Australia, which have overcome similar problems by spending less money, Health Minister Jane Philpott says.

It’s a myth that Canada has the best health-care system in the world, she told the annual meeting of the Canadian Medical Association on Tuesday.

“We spend more per capita on health care than many other countries. What’s worse is while we do this, we get poorer outcomes for our patients.”

Philpott, a former family doctor in Stouffville, Ont., said it’s not the quality of health care that needs to be addressed, but the way in which it’s delivered while the federal health-care budget has ballooned to historic highs.

Britain and Australia are spending less per capita and as a percentage of GDP because they have done a better job of co-ordinating care, Philpott said.

Ongoing talks about a new health agreement with the provinces and territories is an opportunity to set health care on a new course and to move “from the middle of the pack” compared with other countries, Philpott said.

“There is so much more that can be done to improve access to home care,” she said, adding that $3 billion will be spent over the next few years to address the pressing need.

She called for better collaboration between family doctors and specialists, using digital technology to keep records and sharing information that patients can access, and giving greater priority to social factors that affect health.