Canadian Medical Association report puts future of health care on the table for discussion
Press release
CMA paper pulls health care sustainability issue from shadows
August 3, 2010
The CMA has released a seminal paper on the future of Canada's health care system that will set the stage for a debate on the transformation of that system when the association holds its annual meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., later this month.
However, CMA leaders also hope that the paper - Health Care Transformation in Canada: Change that Works. Care that Lasts. - accomplishes much more than that by bringing the sustainability issue out of the shadows and to the forefront of public debate.
"As physicians, we're worried about the future of medicare," said CMA President Anne Doig. "And we're worried because even with its current shortcomings, such as long wait times, the present system will not be able to meet future needs. So here's the message from this paper, refined down to three sentences.
"We need a sustainable health care system that actually meets the needs of patients.
"We need health care transformation.
"We need it now."
The document, released Aug. 3, spells out its goals this way: "This report sets out an ambitious but realizable roadmap to ready the system for the future. Its triple aim is to improve the health of the population at large, to improve the health care experiences of patients, and to improve the value for money spent on health and health care. We hope to spark a spirited discussion so that an urgent effort can be undertaken to put an improved system on a path to sustainability by the time the federal/provincial/territorial Health Accord expires March 31, 2014."
The paper has five key parts:
- an opening declaration that sets the stage for a transformation action plan
- a section that analyzes current problems with the health care system through the prism of the Canada Health Act
- a section analyzing potential solutions - transformation - via that same prism
- a detailed outline of steps that need to be taken, such as building a culture of patient-centred care, providing incentives for enhanced access to care and improved quality of care, and enhanced patient access to all aspects of care, including long-term care
- an appendix analyzing the twin issues of health care funding and sustainability
The paper proposes numerous key actions to drive the transformation process, including:
- universal access to prescription drugs
- creation of a Charter for Patient-centred Care
- improved adoption of health information technology
- improved accountability
Doig stressed that ideas contained within the paper have already been discussed with patients and stakeholders "and we have been pleased with how well they have resonated. Now our goal is concrete action."
The focus for that action will switch to Niagara Falls for the Aug. 22-25 annual meeting, and then to upcoming discussions as federal, provincial and territorial governments prepare to renegotiate the 10-year Health Accord signed in 2004.
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