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Final Project One: Country Profile Final Submission
Angela Reddington
Southern New Hampshire University
501 Global Health and Diversity
Dr. Fahey
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Final Project One: Country Profile Final Submission
Introduction
Purpose
Growing up in Minnesota, I have many fond memories of lengthy road trips with friends
crossing the Canadian border in my early college years. To us, it was like crossing the abyss to
an unknown mysterious country that was infinitely different from the United States in every way,
shape, and form. Ever since then, I’ve had a secret fascination with Canada and their culture.
Discovering in the first week of class that Canada uses a single payer healthcare system that
offers universal coverage to all its residents, piqued my interest in Canada even more. I hope
through this paper on Canada’s profile to have a better comprehension on how the Canadian
healthcare system functions, as well as how they address the current health issues of today.
Country Details
Situated north of the United States, and geographically a part of North America, Canada
is the second-largest country in the world in terms of total area (after Russia). Its gross domestic
product (GDP) per capita, which is an important economic indicator to determine the wellbeing
of a country’s citizens, is expected to increase. It’s already among the highest worldwide,
making Canada one of richest countries in the world (Plecher, 2019). The standard of living is
also quite high in Canada, guaranteed by a stable economy with a positive outlook, and a wellorganized healthcare sector and education system. This is evident in the continuously growing
population figures, a stable fertility rate and a high life expectancy (Plecher, 2019).
Canada has three levels of government: federal, provincial or territorial, and municipal.
The federal government is headed by the prime minister who deals with national and
international matters i.e. mail, taxes, banking, railways, foreign affairs etc. (Government of
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Canada, 2017). A Premier leads each province and territory, which governments have the power
to change their laws and manage their own public lands; they oversee education, health care &
road regulations (Government of Canada, 2017). Lastly the municipal (city) governments run
cities, towns or districts (municipalities). They oversee things, such as parks, libraries, roadways,
local police & transportation. Canada is a constitutional monarchy. This means that the Queen or
King of Canada is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government
(Government of Canada, 2017).
Canada is often associated with cold temperatures and snow, but surprisingly their
weather patterns are diverse with four seasons, particularly in the more populated regions along
the United States border (CEC Network, 2003). Summers can be hot and dry on the prairies,
humid in central Canada, and milder on the coasts. Spring is generally pleasant across the
country with Autumns that are often crisp and cool, Winters are generally cold with periods of
snow (CEC Network, 2003). When the temperature does drop, Canadians stay warm thanks to an
infrastructure of heated houses, cars and public transportation systems. Some cities have also
installed walkways to and from buildings in schools (CEC Network, 2003).
General State of Healthcare
Health-Related Issues
Three of the main health-related issues in Canada’s current healthcare system are long
wait times, incorporation of new digital technologies, and addressing gaps in care relating to
population aging and the increase in chronic diseases. The Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) states that Canada’s health system has been challenged by fiscal constraints, the high
cost of new technology, and the aging of the population (Pan American Health Organization
[PAHO], 2015). The provincial and territorial governments are investing resources to transform
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and strengthen their health care system, starting with the 10-year Plan of Action to improve
health care (adopted in 2004). This established a shared federal, provincial, and territorial agenda
on the renewal of health care, recognizing the need for action in these three key areas of
Canada’s healthcare system (PAHO, 2015).
Long Wait Times
Although patients in Canada enjoy the benefits of universal care, which ensures access to
treatment regardless of the ability to pay, they often face far long wait times for care, particularly
“elective” care (Slaybaugh, 2019). Long wait times and delays for patients to receive proper care
and treatment from their primary care doctor or specialists can lead to deteriorating and
irreversible harm. In order to address this discrepancy, in 2007 all provinces and territories
committed to establishing a Patient Wait Times Guarantee in one priority clinical area and to
undertake pilot projects to tests these guarantees and inform their implementation. A Patient
Wait Times Guarantee is the offer of alternative care options (e.g. referral to another physician or
health care facility) to patients whose wait times exceed a defined timeframe when medically
necessary health services should be provided (Government of Canada, 2019). Each providence
and territory are also making individualized efforts to reduce care wait times by training and
hiring more professionals, clearing backlogs of patients requiring treatment, building new centers
for increased capacity and the developments and implementation of tools to better manage wait
times (Government of Canada, 2019).
Advancing Medical Technology
Incorporating new advancing technology, like electronic health care records and eHealth,
has been the forefront of today’s medical services. Electronic health technologies are significant
drivers of innovation, sustainability, and efficiency in the health care system. They improve
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access to varying types of medical services, patient safety, quality of care and productivity
(Government of Canada, 2019). Canada is slowly increasing the practice of digital health
technologies, with efforts to improve connections and expand their use in health care; for
example, the use of telehealth. Telehealth uses video or phone communications to initiate
conferences between patients and health care providers over great distances. This can be for
medical consultations, transfer of diagnostic materials, and the remote monitoring of patients.
Over fifty different specialties use telehealth resources, mainly to serve the seven million
residents who live in remote rural communities and have no access to nearby clinics (PAHO,
2015).
In Canada, each providence and territory are responsible for developing their electronic
information system; however, there is no national strategy for implementing electronic health
records and no national patient identifier (Allin & Rudoler, 2015). In 2014, only 42 percent of
Canadian General Providers (GPs) reported using exclusively electronic records to enter and
retrieve clinic notes. In the same survey 87 percent of GPs report that their patients are not able
to access their personal health record for any function (Allin & Rudoler, 2015).
Increase in Population Aging and Chronic Illness
The traditional health care system offers universal coverage of essential health-care
needs, which has served Canadians well until recently. Gaps in health care have begun to emerge
related to the aging of the baby boom generation, changing health trends and the rising rates of
chronic diseases. This emphasizes a need for the current health care system to adopt and respond
to the increased capacity of patients and their changing needs. Providences and territories have
introduced several initiatives to improve the integration and coordination of care for chronically
ill patients with complex needs (Allin & Rudoler, 2015). These reforms have focused on the
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primary health care delivery, including setting up more community primary health care centers
that provide on-call services with an around-the-clock triage nurse; creating primary health care
teams for better management of complex patients; placing greater emphasis on health promotion
and preventing illness and injury; increasing coordination and integration of comprehensive
health services; and lastly improving the work environments of health care providers
(Government of Canada, 2019, p. 10).
Current Structure
The Canadian healthcare system is a single payer system, commonly known as Medicare,
in which the government pays for medical care and restricts alternative payment mechanisms for
the services that it covers (Slaybaugh, 2019). The providences and territories in Canada have
primary responsibility for organizing and delivering health services and supervising the
providers. The federal government co-finances provincial and territorial programs, which must
adhere to the five underlying principles of the Canada Health Act, which is the law that sets the
standards for medically necessary hospital, diagnostic, and physician services. The Canada
Health Act requires that all hospitals and physician services be (virtually) 100% publicly
financed without user chargers. Third party insurance for these services is prohibited (Lewis et
al., 2001, p. 926). The Canada Health act also consolidates and defines the principles of the
publicly funded healthcare system (Medicare). These principles state that each provincial health
care insurance plan needs to be 1) publicly administered; 2) comprehensive coverage; 3)
universal; 4) portable across provinces; and 5) accessible without user fees (Allin & Rudoler,
2015, p. 21). In addition to the public program, the majority of Canadians also have
supplemental coverage from for-profit insurers, generally provided by an employer or a union,
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that covers vision, dental, prescription drugs, rehab, home health and private rooms in hospitals
(Slaybaugh, 2019, p. 3).
Canada’s publicly funded universal healthcare system is dynamic, but not without its own
challenges. The basic structure of universal healthcare states that there’s universal coverage for
medically necessary health care services, which are provided on basis of need, rather than the
ability to pay. However, this can lead to inflated monetary costs, in the form of taxes, to the
Canadian citizens. In 2016, the total health spend in Canada was 11.1% of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) with per capita health expenditure at 6,073 Canadian dollars (Slaybaugh, 2019, p.
3). The Canadian public health care delivery system continues to experience growing needs for
increased funding. The total health care delivery system today costs Canadians $98 billion a
year; of that total cost, 71% is paid by the government, which means the taxpayers. While that
may pale in comparison to the costs in the United States, it does make the Canadian system one
of the five most expensive health care delivery systems in the world (Brown, 2013, p. 1).
Although costly, the effectiveness of the Canadian healthcare system is evidenced by its
improving population health statistics. Canadians are living longer than ever, with one in six
Canadians (5.8 million) are 65 years or older, not to mention this age group is growing four
times faster than the overall population (Government of Canada, 2017). Over the past several
decades the overall mortality rate and life expectancy have improved considerably. In 2014,
59.0% of the population 12 years or older reported having "excellent" or "very good" health, a
situation that has remained relatively stable over the past decade (PAHO, 2015). Good health is a
major resource for social, economic and personal development, not to mention an important
aspect in the quality of life. Healthy, productive citizens reduce the burden on the health care
system and can contribute to a strong economy (Government of Canada, 2017).
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Health Study
Increase in Population Aging and Chronic Illness
Significance
Approximately nine million Canadians manage chronic health conditions and the number
of people affected are expected to increase as our population ages, particularly if risk factors that
contribute to poor health continue to rise (Broemeling et al., 2008). The expectation is that as the
large baby boom cohort moves into older age categories, the overall proportion of the population
with chronic conditions will increase (Denton & Spencer, 2010). Chronic conditions represent a
significant and growing healthcare burden in Canada, as patients with chronic conditions are
higher users of healthcare services, thus the use of care increases as the number of conditions
goes up. These conditions will have a substantial impact on use of healthcare services and health
status of Canadians in the coming years (Broemeling et al., 2008).
Populations Impacted
Chronic conditions affect at least one third of Canadians’ youth and adults, and more than
three quarters of Canadians’ senior citizens (Broemeling et al., 2008). Co-morbidity is a common
experience and among those with select chronic conditions, more than one third of adults and
more than one half of seniors report co-morbidity. Among people with chronic conditions, 49%
of adults 65-79 years of age and 59% of adults 80 years and older report having at least two
select conditions. Also, women are more likely than men to report having at least two select
conditions (Broemeling et al., 2008). The World Health Organization (WHO) projected that
chronic diseases would account for 89 percent of all deaths in Canada in 2005 and projects in the
next ten years death from chronic diseases will increase by 15% (World Health Organization
[WHO], n.d.).
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Social and Cultural Factors
Age is an important cultural factor to chronic illness, as when people age it is not
uncommon for them to have more than one chronic condition. Not only does the use of
healthcare resources tend to increase with age, but also with number of conditions. More than
three quarters of Canadian senior citizens eight years and older had two or more chronic
conditions (Denton & Spencer, 2010). According to Denton & Spencer, 17% of Canadian seniors
with two chronic conditions spend nearly four times as long in institutions and had twice as
many physician visits on average, compared to the 31% with no such conditions (2010). People
with one chronic condition are twice as likely to have a hospital stay as people with no
conditions. Also, the likelihood of an overnight hospital admission increases with the number of
conditions; people with three or more conditions are more than four times as likely to be
admitted to the hospital as those with none (Broemeling et al., 2008).
Economic Factors
Chronic diseases can create large adverse and underappreciated economic effects on
families, communities and countries. According to World Health Association (WHO), Canada
lost an estimated 500 million dollars in 2005 in national income from common chronic
conditions, such as premature deaths due to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes (WHO, n.d.).
These losses are projected to increase, cumulatively Canada stands to lose nine billion dollars
over the next ten years from the same chronic conditions i.e. premature deaths due to heart
disease, stroke, and diabetes (WHO, n.d.).
Current Actions
Providences and territories in Canada have introduced several initiatives to improve
integration and coordination of care for chronically ill patients with complex needs. These
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include new initiatives, affiliations, and departments i.e. Divisions of Family Practice, Regulated
Health Professions Network, and Health Links. Some of these providences have also
implemented incentives to encourage physicians to provide guideline-based care for chronic
disease (Allin & Rudoler, 2015). In Ontario, a pilot program that bundles payments across
different providers is being expanded to improve coordination of care for patients as they
transition from hospital to community (Allin & Rudoler, 2015).
Influence
The stakeholders for aging patients with chronic illnesses are the patients themselves,
healthcare workers, the appropriate medical facilities, the Canadian government, and large
national agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO). Most people with chronic
conditions have a regular medical doctor and visit community-based doctors and nurses
frequently. Not surprisingly, people with chronic conditions use healthcare services more often
and more intensively than those do without, and the intensity of the service increases as the
number of conditions go up (Broemeling et al., 2008). WHO estimates that an additional two
percent annual reduction in national-level chronic disease death rates in Canada over the next ten
years would result in an economic gain of one billion dollars for the country (WHO, n.d.).
Intervention
There are numerous interventions that can used in a variety of settings to address the
increasing aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases in Canada. The World Health
Organization (WHO) claims that the most cost-effective interventions to reduce the associated
risk factors associated with chronic conditions is to reduce salt in processed food, cut dietary fat;
encourage more physical activity; encourage higher consumption of fruits and vegetables; and
lastly cease smoking (WHO, n.d.). At least 80% of premature heart disease, stroke, type two
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diabetes, and 40% of cancer could be prevented through healthy diet, regular physical activity,
and avoidance of tobacco products (Denton & Spencer, 2010). The most successful and costeffective intervention strategies have employed a range of population-wide approaches that are
combined with individualized interventions for adults. Using this approach, Canada has already
made important gains in reducing chronic disease death rates. WHO estimates that from 1970 to
2000, Canada averted over one million cardiovascular disease deaths (WHO, n.d.).
Advancing Medical Technology
Significance
According to Zelmer & Hagens, evolving Canada’ health systems to meet current and
future needs has been an enduring policy goal, and effective use of digital health is often cited as
a key enabler to health system reform (2014). Electronic Medical records (EMRs) are an
important part of the broader vision for future digital health. When adopting EMRs into their
primary health, studies showed that Canada was falling behind other global leaders in health care
(Zelmer & Hagens, 2014). Canadian electronic health technologies also include telehealth, which
is the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to deliver health services,
expertise, and information over distance, geographic, time, social and cultural barriers (Muttitt et
al., 2004, p. 402). EMRs and telehealth are significant drivers of innovation, sustainability and
efficiency in the health care system by improving access to services, patient safety, quality of
care, and productivity (Government of Canada, 2019).
Populations Impacted
Every Canadian citizen is impacted by advancing technology in healthcare, but a
population especially affected is the Aboriginal population living in secluded and rural locations
in Canada’s vast ten million square kilometer land area. Aboriginal communities are among the
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most geographically remote and isolated communities in Canada, where access to healthcare can
be a challenge, especially in the Northern aspect of Canada where the climate is harsh, and
transportation options are limited to reach the large health and specialty centers located in
Southern Canada (Muttitt et al., 2004). With its widely dispersed population over a large
geographic area, the Aboriginal population was well suited for telehealth, the use of information
communication technologies to deliver healthcare over a distance and a key mechanism for
improving access to health services internationally (Muttitt et al., 2004). Telehealth has shown to
be well accepted by patients and community members, and to reduce costs related to travel for
health services (Muttitt et al., 2004). In two recent reports reviewing the health care system in
Canada, telehealth was identified as a central mechanism for improving care for individuals
living in rural and remote locations of the country (Muttitt et al., 2004, p. 403).
Social and Cultural Factors
There are marked differences between the health status of Canada’s Aboriginal and nonAboriginal populations. The life expectancy of aboriginal peoples in Canada is lower than nonAboriginal and additionally, the Aboriginal population has a higher prevalence of diseases, such
as diabetes, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (Muttitt et al., 2004). There
are also recent studies that indicate mental health and addiction issues are more prevalent in the
Aboriginal population with an alarming suicide rate that is six times the rate of non-Aboriginal
populations (Muttitt et al., 2004). Poor health status is further compounded by issues such as
geographic isolation, poor environmental conditions, inadequate housing, and inconsistent
delivery of health care services in the community. Telehealth provides a tool to facilitate more
effective and appropriate delivery of health services in Aboriginal jurisdictions (Muttitt et al.,
2004).
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Economic Factors
In 2010 the federal government’s Economic Action Plan funded Canada Health Infoway
to increase the number of community-based clinicians adopting and using EMR systems. A
Conference Board of Canada analysis also noted the ability of capital investment through
Infoway to create jobs, contribute to gross domestic product, and reap other economic benefits
(Zelmer & Hagens, 2014). The efficiency and patient care benefits related to the use of EMR by
community-based practices was valued at $1.3 billion between 2006 and 2012 (Zelmer &
Hagens, 2014).
In terms of economic factors of telehealth, the lack of funding continues to be the most
profound barrier to the ongoing sustainability in the remote and isolated Aboriginal
communities, where operational costs, particularly those related to infrastructure, are
significantly higher (Muttitt et al., 2004). Sharing infrastructure costs between multiple
communities as well as other possible network users, such as education, justice, or government,
will improve the viability of telehealth in smaller communities and result in affordable
telecommunications costs. These costs are critical to the expansion and sustainability of
telehealth in many of Canada’s neediest areas (Muttitt et al., 2004).
Current Actions
Currently, the increasing use of EMR in clinical settings has addressed and optimized the
role of advancing technology in the healthcare setting. Both clinical and productivity benefits are
expected to rise as EMR adoption continues to grow, and general practices gain more experience
with their use, i.e. more efficient workflow as staff time is redeployed. The use of EMR in the
Canadian health care system will lead to reduced number of duplicate tests and adverse drug
events while improving health outcomes and increasing patient safety. EMR can be considered a
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bridge that can help support interactions and communications among care team members, and
between providers and their patients (Zelmer & Hagens, 2014).
There has been a steady growth of telehealth in Aboriginal communities in Canada, but
the full potential of telehealth as a solution for healthcare needs has yet to be realized (Muttitt et
al., 2004). The success of telehealth is dependent on a full and seamless integration of telehealth
as part of the Canadian healthcare delivery system. At an organizational level, this demands that
telehealth be consistently offered as a viable alternative for healthcare service delivery where
appropriate (Muttitt et al., 2004).
Influence
There are many stakeholders in the role of advancing technology in Canada’s health care
system, including patients (especially the Aboriginal population), doctors, facilities, and the
Canadian government. Also, stakeholders outside the government, like the Canadian Medical
Association, who stated in 2008 that EMRs would lead to “significant improvements in data
comprehensiveness, clinical relevance and quality, which in turn would lead to improved clinical
decision support, core date sets, and health statistics that meet the primary goal of enhancing
health care delivery, treatment and outcomes” (Zelmer & Hagens, 2014, p. 4).
Intervention
Several interventions have been made in the past two decades to address initiation and
improvement of medical technology in Canada. In the late 1990s, the Advisory Council on
Health Infostructure recommended setting up a nation-wide “information highway,” which was a
key driver in the creation of Canada Health Infoway in 2001 (Zelmer & Hagens, 2014). Next,
broad consultation led to an Electronic Health Record Solution Blueprint, which is a technology
framework that provided a share vision and direction for the appropriate sharing of clinically
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relevant health information. The use of EMRs in primary care rose from 23% in 2006 to 64% in
2013(Zelmer & Hagens, 2014).
Telehealth advancements started back in 1975 in the Providence of Newfoundland, with a
satellite based, one-way video/two-way audio network providing education and consultation
between one referral center and four remote hospitals. Since that time, telehealth in Canada has
grown, and all Provinces and Territories currently have some type of Telehealth in program in
place (Muttitt et al., 2004).
Long Wait Times
Significance
Across Canada, patients wait nearly four months for medically necessary treatment and
has become a defining characteristic of Canadian health care (Barua & Moir, 2019). This year,
according to specialist physicians surveyed, they reported a median waiting time of 20.9 weeks
between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of treatment, which is longer than the
wait of 19.8 weeks reported in 2018. This wait time is just shy of the longest wait time recorded
in history (21.2 weeks in 2017) and is 124% longer than in 1993, when it was just 9.3 weeks
(Barua & Moir, 2019). Long wait times have serious consequences such as increased pain,
suffering, and mental anguish. They can also result in poorer medical outcomes and transforming
potentially reversible illnesses or injuries into chronic, irreversible conditions, or even permanent
disabilities. In many instances, patients may also have to forgo their wages while they wait for
treatment, resulting in an economic cost to the individuals themselves and the economy in
general (Barua & Moir, 2019).
Populations Impacted
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Chronically sick and ill patients in Canada needing medical attention are at the forefront
of the populations impacted by Canada’s long wait times, but also patients needing routine
procedures and diagnostic imaging. In 2020, Canadians could expect to wait 4.8 weeks for a
computed tomography (CT) scan, 9.3 weeks for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and
3.4 weeks for an ultrasound (Barua & Moir, 2019). Patients awaiting to see a specialist after a
referral from a general practitioner (GP) are also affected, as this wait time increased from 8.7
weeks in 2018 to 10.1 weeks in 2019. This wait time is 173% longer than in 1993, when it was
3.7 weeks. The shortest waits for specialist consultations are in Quebec, which is 7.2 weeks
while the longest occur in Prince Edward Island which is 28.8 weeks (Barua & Moir, 2019).
However, there is a great deal of variation among specialties. Patients wait longest between a GP
referral and orthopedic surgery is 39.1 weeks, while those waiting for medical oncology begin
treatment in 4.4 weeks (Barua & Moir, 2019).
Social and Cultural Factors
A recurrent cultural factor is the physician’s involvement and attitude toward Wait Time
Management Services (WTMS), which can become a major barrier for implementation and
sustainability. It is important that physicians maintain momentum in meeting wait time
accountability targets (Pomey et al., 2013). Cultural biases exist in the healthcare sector, as there
is often a resistance to change and uncertainty towards new implementations of WTMS. These
biases lead to a lack of systematic approach to implement a culture change and often have poor
clinician-administration coordination and partnerships (Pomey et al., 2013). Public awareness is
also identified as a success factor, and government efforts made on behalf of patients to make
information clear about wait time strategies. These public service announcements that shared
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knowledge about wait times were shown to enlighten and empower patients on their medical care
decisions (Pomey et al., 2013).
Economic Factors
In September of 2004, Canada’s First Ministers committed $5.5 billion to timely access
in five health care areas over a ten-year period. Then, in April of 2007, Canada’s federal
government announced that it would provide $612 billion to provinces that would commit to
respecting maximum wait times for at least one medical procedure in their jurisdiction (Pomey et
al., 2013). Financial incentives were also initiated to improve WTMS, such as performancebased payment, which encouraged physicians to perform more procedures as efficiently and
effectively as possible. Also, a fee-for-service remuneration motivates physicians to treat as
many patients as possible, whereas hospitals receiving global budgets are motivated to treat as
few patients as possible (Pomey et al., 2013).
Current Actions
The Wait Time Information System (WTIS) was developed and deployed to standardize
near real-time data, assist in making more informed healthcare decisions, and to better manage
access to critical health services (Pfaff et al., 2009). WTIS supports hospitals’ ability to use the
collection data effectively, from managing wait lists, improving access to services, and
continually improve the quality of data (Pfaff et al., 2009). WTIS also assists in recruiting
permanent resources to support long-term sustainability, build in-house capacity, ensure
knowledge retention, and support management over the long-term (Pfaff et al., 2009). Other
current efforts by the provinces and territories include training and hiring more health
professionals, clearing backlogs of patients requiring treatment, building capacity for regional
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centers of excellence, expanding ambulatory and community care programs, and developing
tools to better manage wait times (Allin & Rudoler, 2015).
Influence
Stakeholders in Canada’s long wait times are patients that experience this phenomenon,
but also boards, administrators, clinicians, and hospital staff. Involvement of professional
organizations partners as stakeholders, such as national or provincial health ministries in the
health care network, also play an important role by providing information on data, advice on
existing processes, ideas for improvements, recommendations, as well as ensuring systems for
reporting (Pomey et al., 2013).
Intervention
According to Pomey et al., wait time issues cannot be solved by improving clinical
efficiency alone, any solution must also incorporate new ways of working (2013, p. 9). Training
programs are a useful tool for implementing WTMS, and positive attributes were noted in the
role of training staff in the use of common software and data management (Pomey et al., 2013).
Also, the implementation of media communications, such as public websites, make it possible to
provide the Canadian population with general information on a province’s wait time strategies,
current wait times for scheduled procedures, and a surgeon timetable (Pomey et al., 2013). The
Health Council of Canada listed some key success factors to manage long wait times, these
include support from government leaders, strong program leadership, dedicated full-time staff,
efficient information systems that track wait-times and to share this information publicly, and
lastly, adequate funding (Pomey et al., 2013).
Conclusions
Recommendations
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The Canadian health care system has faced many challenges, including the way services
are delivered, fiscal constraints, the aging of the baby boom generation and the high cost of new
technology (Government of Canada, 2019). Long wait times have consistently been identified as
a key barrier to access for both primary and specialized care for Canadian citizens. The Canadian
government and federal organizations are continually strategizing for better wait management,
but more influencing and support should be initiated on the main organizational level. Starting
with increased practitioner involvement with by the induction of standards, guidelines and
protocols for more efficient patient care. In addition to this adding financial incentives for visits
and procedures, plus increased and dedicated staffing are important resources to overcome
delayed patient care.
The rise of EMR and telehealth adaptation into Canadian practice continues to improve
health outcomes, communication, and patient safety. As with most advancing technology,
monetary needs and financial commitments can deter initiation and productivity. Encouragement
is needed at all levels (legislative, practitioner, and patient population) to instill the importance
implementing digital healthcare in today’s advancing medical advancements for improved and
better healthcare.
The increasing aging population and chronic health conditions impact the health and
well-being of Canadians and represent a significant, growing healthcare and economic burden.
Although there is no cure for aging or many of the chronic health illnesses affecting the
population, focused attention on the prevention and the proper management of such illnesses is
an important first step. Practitioners are encouraged to have discussions with patients regarding
health promotion, current healthcare management, and the use public health services that can
improve health outcomes.
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Solutions
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines universal health care “that all people and
communities can use the promotive, preventative, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health
services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective while also ensuring that the use of these
services does not expose the user to financial hardship” (Slaybaugh, 2019, p. 2). As previously
mentioned, Canada is one of the two countries (Japan is the latter) in the world with a true single
payer healthcare system covering their entire population. Without the availability of other
countries using a similar healthcare system for comparison and contrast puts Canada at a
disadvantage, thus can be a cause for limited intercountry growth and development opportunities.
Long wait times are a unique healthcare issue that appears to affect Canadians in their singlepayer system (versus hybrid systems other countries use). Research within their own country and
from their own residents’ experiences with long wait times can help Canada find individualized
solutions that fit their distinctive healthcare system.
Chronic illness and increase in population aging along with advancing medical
technology are two issues that affect all populations on a global scale, no matter what type of
healthcare system is in place (or how efficient it may be). In this aspect, Canada’s single payer
system can be used as an advantage to incorporate one efficient systematic EMR throughout the
country and provide consistent, standard templates and guidelines. This system will lead to
better, organized, and more efficient care of patients with chronic conditions on a consistent
basis throughout all healthcare centers. Although these healthcare challenges may consistently be
a contributing factor in the future, Canada’s health system should continue to evolve and
strategize as a country that provides universal, high quality health services to all its residents.
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