Health Care Brief: Canadians not receiving adequate health care

Are Canadians receiving adequate health care? According to the Health Council of Canada, the answer is no.

The intergovernmental agency prepared Fixing the Foundation: An Update
on Primary Health Care and Home Care Renewal in Canada. It says the current
health-care system is not well-coordinated, comprehensive or always available
when needed. The report is based on the Canadian Survey of Experiences with
Primary Health Care.

“Canadians continue to tell us reform is needed,” Dr. Jeanne Besner
says. Besner is the chair of the Health Council of Canada.

The report highlights that more then 30 per cent of people who visited an emergency
room believe they could have been treated by their family doctor if one was
available. In addition, family doctors rarely learn if a patient is seen in
an after-hours clinic.

Participants said that some doctors do not explain test results, nor do they
warn of the possible side effects of medication. Other complaints included a
lack of information from their physicians on adopting healthier lifestyles.

To address the issues within the system, the council is recommending several
courses of action. These include electronic patient records, inter-professional
care teams, and better communications between family doctors and after-hour
clinics. The report also stresses the need for better coverage of home care
strategies.

Read the council’s report, Fix
the Foundation.

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