Policy and Politics

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by Maddi Dellplain

Dreaming of a bold and courageous health-care system for all

It's that special time of year again: The time when Healthy Debate asks health-care experts to share their one holiday wish for our health-care system.

by Seema Marwaha

Medicine can be better: A wish list for our health-care system

Health Debate editor-in-chief, Dr. Seema Marwaha, shares her wishes for Canada's health-care system as a general internist, educator, journalist and incoming president-elect of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada.

by Hugh MacLeod

Fractured foundations: Reimagining primary care in Canada

Canada’s primary care system is not bending. It is breaking. And what breaks at the foundation eventually collapses across the whole structure.
by Maddi Dellplain

Feeling blue? It’s not just you. Canadians live in a ‘winter depression hotspot’

Seasonal affective disorder or – the appropriately acronymic SAD –  will impact an estimated 15 per cent of Canadians during their lifetime.
by Benita Hosseini Andrew Pinto

Why Canada needs a ready-to-run adaptive platform trial before the next pandemic hits

When the next pandemic arrives (and it will!) Canada will once again face urgent questions: Which treatments work? For whom? At what dose? And how quickly should we act?
by Angelica Recierdo

The accidental birth tourist: A North American pregnancy

When baby is old enough to know the full story, I cannot wait to share how life was up north, in a place known for its warmth as much as for its cold, that welcomed an American like me without a plan.
by Sarvesh Mohan

Burnout in health care: A personal reflection and evidence-based perspective

Coping with burnout requires a combination of personal resilience and systemic support. Health-care institutions must prioritize the emotional and psychological health of their staff.
by Hugh MacLeod

Leadership lessons from a pot of flowers: Reawakening health-care leadership

Health care collapse is only one story. The deeper story lives underground, in the quiet places where resilience begins.
by Ingrid Gahsner

Smith has kept doctors and dollars in Alberta – but it doesn’t change access to care 

Alberta’s model may offer useful insight into whether a province can strengthen its public system by formally incorporating private activity rather than resisting it.
by Kaden Venugopal Darren Nichols David Moores

Private practices won’t fix Alberta’s wait times

Public health care, paid for by the public and created by the public, should serve the public. Bill 11, as written, serves a different purpose.
by James Rodgers

‘The war against dogs continues’: How 150 years of policy denied animal control to Indigenous communities

Unequal access to pet care in rural and Indigenous communities has led to dogs being shot when they pose a risk to the public. A century and a half of policies that have left these communities without animal-control systems are to blame.

by Igor Gontcharov

Professional self-regulation can still work if we run it in the public interest

Self-regulation can work if we stop running quality assurance like licensing compliance and start running it like professional development in the public interest.
by Salar Farokhi Boroujeni Shavez Khan Rushil Dave

Medical students call for prevention and cessation initiatives with tobacco settlement monies

As medical students, we hope for a future where fewer of our patients suffer from preventable tobacco-related illness. A future within reach if we act now.
by Ingrid Gahsner

We can’t afford to wait for health care any longer 

Canada’s health-care system remains one of our greatest national ideals. But ideals don’t shorten waitlists.
by Mona Samani Savana Elsays Peter Zhang

Pharmacists are essential in bridging the gap between AI and patient-centered care

In a world pushing toward data-driven systems and algorithms, pharmacists can safeguard the human element of care by acting as a nexus between health and technology.
by Simron Sidhu

Meeting patients where they are: Why medical training must include social media literacy

Some medical schools are beginning to explore digital health communication, but comprehensive social media literacy training remains the exception rather than standard practice.
by Neelam Punjani Amber Hussain

Queering the curriculum: Sexual orientation and gender identity in Canadian comprehensive sexuality education

Comprehensive sexual education plays a vital role in equipping young people with knowledge about their bodies, identities, rights and relationships. But access remains uneven across the country.

by Stephanie Hatzifilalithis Nilanee Koneswaran

From Miami to Mississauga: The Golden Girls and Ontario’s $1.1B homecare plan

Whether in the fictional world of The Golden Girls or the real-life province of Ontario, the tension between independence and formal care is real.

by Homira Osman Stacey Lintern Danielle Campo McLeod

Fail-first drug rules defy logic, deny timely access for people with rare diseases

Despite the recent approval of targeted biologics that can significantly improve quality of life, Canadians living with Myasthenia Gravis continue to face unjust policy barriers.

by Youssef Garras

Canadian student abroad questions Ontario’s exclusionary residency rule

The goal should not be to exclude, but to bring home every capable doctor who calls Canada home.

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