Will Dr. Low’s legacy be lost in our culture of fear?

Elizabeth Doyle healthy debate blogger

Dr. Donald Low has directly impacted the lives of Canadians, first as a respected microbiologist who eased our concerns during the SARS crisis of 2003. Now, ten years later, he’s still influencing our views on public health, but the focus of this discussion is on what, morally speaking, we owe each other at the end

High users of health care: are we asking the right questions?

Chris Stone healthy debate blogger

There is little doubt that system transformation is necessary to achieve sustainable and high-quality health care for Canadians. In recent years, the care and management of high users (HU) of health care has emerged as a focal point for developing a sustainable health care system.  Despite the focus on this group, one question has received

Urgent surgery: a forgotten wait time?

urgent care

There is a growing body of research suggesting that patients with urgent surgical needs are waiting too long for surgery. From the time that they present to an emergency department to being booked in for surgery, they can experience many periods of prolonged waits. While wait times for elective surgery are measured in Canada, waits for urgent surgery are not.

Have investments in interprofessional education led to changes in practice?

Interprofessional education

As part of the 2003 Health Accord, the Federal Government made major investments in interprofessional education. This included contributing $28 million dollars to build training centres across Canadian colleges and universities. Investing in interprofessional education was motivated by the belief that changing the way health care professionals work together would be a key part of

Alberta regulatory body makes important move to address private MRIs

Lynette Reid

In a surprising move, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has challenged financial barriers to medical imaging. While some believe that regulatory colleges should limit themselves to individual physician discipline, the Canadian public should support the growing willingness of Colleges to move beyond disciplinary issues to act as a voice for the public

Are concerns over conflict of interest stifling innovation?

Yan Xu healthy debate blogger

“We made a practical and open work environment for engineers and shop workers, forcing the guys behind the drawing boards onto the shop floor to see how their ideas were being translated into actual parts and to make any necessary changes on the spot.” -from Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed

Caring for Canada’s seniors will take our entire health care workforce

Much of the focus on the health care needs of Canada’s aging population surrounds the shortage of physicians with expertise in care of older adults. But the country’s 75,000 licensed physicians represent only a small part of the Canadian health care workforce. By contrast, there are approximately 360,000 regulated nurses, 35,000 social workers, 30,000 pharmacists,