equity

Medical tourism – it’s already happening in places near and far

When Canadians travel abroad for private medical care they are engaging in what is known as medical tourism.  Medical tourism is a global, multi-billion dollar industry.  Patients from all regions of the world are traveling to a growing list of countries as medical tourists.  Our research group studies medical tourism, with a particular focus on

Medical tourism – coming to a place near you?

Andreas Laupacis healthydebate editor

Sometimes I smugly think that I know a reasonable amount about health care in Canada and elsewhere. Well, it is always good to have one’s smug illusions shattered every once in a while. When in Europe recently, I was at a presentation by the Turkish government about their focus on “medical tourism” – attracting residents

Bed blocking a problem of equity, not just efficiency

Jeremy Petch Healthy Debate Blogger

One of the big challenges facing modern health care systems is how to reduce delayed discharge from acute hospitals by patients for whom acute care is not longer medically necessary – better known as the problem of bed blockers.  Bed blocking occurs when a patient is ready for discharge, but has to stay in hospital

Ten reasons why the refugee health care cuts are a bad idea

Naheed Dosani healthydebate.ca blogger

I​n 2011, Su-Yun Kim and her husband arrived in Canada hoping for a better life, as many refugee claimants do. In North Korea where they were born and raised, Su-Yun’s husband was involved in political activity, necessitating that they flee from their loved ones and their home for safety. With difficulty, they managed to escape

Global health: is Canada part of the problem?

Philippe Couillard healthydebate blogger

Canada contributed 3.6 billion dollars in assistance to developing countries in 2005-2006. But we and other rich countries practice what has been called by some “foreign aid in reverse”: The recruitment of foreign health professionals from the developing world, a potential obstacle to the deployment of our initiatives in poorer countries. The WHO estimates that

Hospital parking

The acting editor of the CMAJ has sparked a controversy weighing in to a debate about parking, suggesting that parking near health facilities should be subsidized.  Assuming such a policy can be operationalized (how near? For whom?), the underlying issue is an interesting and global one.  When I was first appointed as a Board chair in

Are bedbugs a health problem?

Bed Bug

The past ten years have seen a surge of bedbug infestations across North America, with many cities across Canada affected.  Although they do not cause or transmit disease, bedbug infestations are often perceived to be a health problem. An effective and efficient bedbug strategy requires coordination among various sectors, including public health, housing, community and

Achieving better health for the homeless

Walking through the streets of any large city, one sees many homeless people. Nearly two in three have a history of some form of mental illness. Hospitals have become the place where homeless people with serious mental illness go during a crisis, but hospitals are poorly equipped to meet their needs. How can society improve