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T H U R S DAY, D E C E M B E R 1 , 2 0 1 1
Special
SECTION CMA
KEY FINDINGS*
#1
Health care is seen as the most important priority for the Government of Canada.
85%
of Canadians feel it is important that the CMA/CNA principles be adopted as part of the 2014 Health Accord discussions.
77%
support a national strategy to address the needs of our aging population (e.g., through increased home care and long-term care), even if this increases our taxes or increases our debt/decit levels.
46%
of Canadians feel quality of the health care services remains the most important aspect of the system.
28%
of Canadians feel the quality of the health care system has deteriorated over the past two years.
health care outcomes are worse in 2011 than they were 20 years ago compared to some other countries. For example, Dr. Shamian points out that Canada ranked 10th among OECD countries for infant mortality in 1982. In 2008, the country was ranked 27th out of 34 OECD member states. Former Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services Philippe Couillard says Canada needs to create an environment that better supports people and organizations operating in the health care sector to provide better service, safety, quality, access and patient experience. I believe there is a political will to make these changes; they are not revolutionary, they are patientcentred and aimed at bringing quality back into the system, says Dr. Couillard. Dr. Haggie believes that how Canadas health care dollars are spent is more important than the size of the budget. He points out that Canada spends close to $200 billion a year on health care, which puts the countrys health care spending fth among OECD countries as a percentage of GDP. However, Canada ranks only 27th in the OECD when it comes to the efcient use of its health care budget. Thats a huge gap, so it may not be a question of spending more, but just not letting costs rise by gaining efciencies and doing things better, getting better value by spending health care money closer to the patient and focusing on patient-centred care, he says. The CMA-CNA principles call for an equitable and accountable patient-centred health care system focused on quality and incorporating health promotion and illness prevention.
For Dr. Shamian, that means a system that measures outcomes rather than outputs and one that brings teams of practitioners together to meet the needs of patients. It also means looking beyond just the health care system to ensure a healthy population. We need to see health care as part of a larger system, she says. We can have the best health care in the world, but if we dont deal with the challenges that lead to health issues such as homelessness and poverty, we will not achieve the outcomes we are looking for. Dr. Haggie says the latest poll results underscore support for health care transformation. For example, more than three-quarters of respondents said improving the health care system should be the federal governments top priority. Nothing scored higher. And 85 per cent said our six principles should be adopted as part of the discussions on a new health accord between the federal government and the provinces, says Dr. Haggie. The acid test, he adds, is how policy-makers will respond to calls for health care transformation. The broadly endorsed principles on health care transformation are the standards that Canadians can use to determine if our elected ofcials have developed a new health accord that will create a patientcentred health care system, says Dr. Haggie. Canadians have told us clearly that is what they want. It is now up to our politicians to respond.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (CMA) The CMA is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Founded in 1867, the CMAs mission is to serve and unite the physicians of Canada and be the national advocate, in partnership with the people of Canada, for the highest standards of health and health care. On behalf of its more than 75,000 members and the Canadian public, the CMA performs a wide variety of functions. Key functions include advocating for health promotion and disease/injury prevention policies and strategies, advocating for access to quality health care, facilitating change within the medical profession, and providing leadership and guidance to physicians to help them inuence, manage and adapt to changes in health care delivery.
INSIDE
Smarter investments are needed for better health, writes Canadian Nurses Association President Judith Shamian.
CMA 2
ONLINE?
For more information, visit healthcaretransformation.ca.
*Statistics are drawn from a recent, nationally representative telephone survey commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Nurses Association that asked 1,001 Canadians, 18 years of age and older their views on health and health care.
t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h u r s daY, d e c e m b e r 1 , 2 0 1 1
PRINCIPLE
Patient-centred: The patient must be at the centre of health care. Patient-centred care is seamless access to the continuum of care in a timely manner, based on need and not the ability to pay,
that takes into consideration the individual needs and preferences of the patient and his/her family, and treats the patient with respect and dignity. Improving the patient experience and the health
EVOLUTION
BRIEF
Toward a strategy for patient-centred care The CMA has called for implementation of a strategy for Patient-centred care within a national framework to ensure: the rights and expectations of patients as to the quality and timeliness of health care; the responsibilities of patients for their health and health care; a mechanism to register patient concerns and complaints about the quality and timeliness of health care; a mechanism to provide redress of patient complaints. The Strategy for PatientCentred Care is built on a foundation of reasonableness and fairness. The essential principle is that health care services are provided in the manner that works best for patients. Health care providers partner with patients and their families to identify and satisfy their range of needs and preferences. Notwithstanding resource constraints, governments have the duty to ensure availability of the resources required to provide high-quality care. To read more on the PatientCentred Strategy, go to healthcaretransformation.ca.
Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada president Barry Stein is among the health advocates who want to see improvements to services that would put patients in the drivers seat. PHOTO: CHRISTINNE MUSCHI to put the patient in the drivers seat, while incorporating business models to improve how services are delivered. Weve become accustomed to being at the will of a very outdated system, says Mr. Stein, a survivor of metastatic colorectal cancer who sought health care outside of Canada to ght his disease and was reimbursed by the province following a judgement in the Superior Court of Quebec. Today hes an advocate for cancer awareness and educational and support programs for patients and their families. Nurse-navigators, who help cancer patients co-ordinate their treatments, are a step in the right direction, but they are rare and only come into the picture once patients are in specialist care, Mr. Stein says. Solutions such as communities of practice that focus on certain types of patients and creative models and systems for delivering health care services are critical, he adds. This is a huge challenge. Dr. Slocombe says that as well as focusing on patients and better co-ordinating their care, its been important to offer support to family physicians, who are dealing with more signicant cases, often in isolation The solutions are complex, she explains. Weve got a ways to go,
but we are seeing real benets. The development of the PCN model in Alberta is a start, Dr. Slocombe adds. Its brought family doctors together, and its given them extra support to provide patient-centred care.
ONLINE
See this entire 2014 Health Accord report plus webexclusive stories online.
practitioners
globeandmail.com/healthcaretransformation
nurses
By Judith Shamian,
RN, PhD, LLD (hon), D.Sci. (hon) FAAN
cna-aiic.ca
THE VOICE OF 143,843 REGISTERED NURSES
This report was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc. (www.randallanthony.com) in conjunction with the advertising department of The Globe and Mail. Richard Deacon, National Business Development Manager, rdeacon@globeandmail.com.
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TECHNOLOGY
Electronic Medical Records provide a new platform for efficient, quality care
he promised benets of electronic medical records are no longer a futuristic vision. They are here, and health experts say the full potential of EMRs and EHRs are just beginning to be explored. With the PS Suite EMR system developed by MD Physician Services, for example, many physicians now have ready access to their patients health information, wherever they are. In Ontario, critical mass has been achieved in the provinces primary care system, reports Dr. Darren Larsen, Ontario MDs senior peer physician. In two to three years, as physicians collect data, we will be able to make some powerful improvements to population-based health delivery and service. EMR adoption has already improved efciencies and quality of care. When a medication is prescribed, for example, the EMR system ags potential interactions with other medications, as well as side-effects and risks associated with co-existing conditions. Physicians also have mobile access to EMR, enabling them to connect to patient records wherever they are. If Im on a house call, at the hospital, or at home and on-call, I have all the information I need at my ngertips, all the time. That leads to better decisionmaking and more effective patient advice, says Dr. Larsen, a PS Suite EMR client. PS Suite EMR has the potential to improve patient education and compliance. I use my computer to show my patients graphs of where theyve been and where theyre likely going, he notes. For example, I can point out that someone has had a high number of urinary infections over a period of time, to show that we need to investigate the cause. For the millions of Canadians living with chronic health conditions, EMRs enable more proactive health management. If a patient with diabetes has not had an eye examination in the past year, the system will alert the physician, so the patient can be notied. Much of chronic care for diabetes, asthma, cancer, thyroid disease, COPD and scores of other disorders requires looking forward, using the data from the past. EMR allows that. Once you build a system of reminders, a lot of the process becomes almost automatic, Dr. Larsen says. In Peterborough, Ontario, Dr. Nick Vanderkamp has used PS Suite EMR in his practice for about four years. Its helpful in measuring the benet of lifestyle interventions and medication. On a macro level, he says, search capability makes it possible to measure quality of care. As a community, were working to improve overall health outcomes, particularly for chronic disease management. With EMR, we can search records to see how many people in our practice are meeting the outcome measures were looking for. Its an exciting new direction. In multi-physician clinics, legibility of records, lost records and record retrieval were formerly challenging issues, says Dr. Neeraj Sanjeev Bector of Edmonton. With PS Suite EMR, nothing falls through the cracks. Whether its our staff or a physician dealing with an issue or patient request, everything is dealt with in the system electronically and can be reviewed after, if necessary, in the audit log. Visual representation of lab results are much more powerful in motivating patients than having a bunch of numbers thrown at them, he says. They can actually see the effect that medications or other interventions are making on their care in a simplied graphic. In Alberta, NetCare is a provincial repository for lab information, diagnostic imaging, hospital discharge summaries and emergency records. It provides timely access, and I can retrieve data that other physicians have generated, says Dr. Bector. Were not duplicating lab tests or imaging, potentially re-exposing patients to radiation or generating extra cost. For patients, EMR can mean better care and greater peace of mind. Mary Jane McQueen, who is the primary caregiver for her 86-yearold mother, says, When my mom has serious health issues, Im able to stay in contact with Dr. Larsen by e-mail. As he has access to her electronic health records wherever he is at the time, weve been able to get ahead of the game in terms of treatment, rather than get to the point where wed have to go to emergency. While Ms. McQueens mother has had a number of long stints in the hospital, thanks in part to EMRs and her daughters ongoing communication with Dr. Larsen, she is still able to live at home most of the time with her daughter and son-in-law. Being in regular contact with the family practitioner also made a big difference when her mother was in the hospital receiving acute care, says Ms. McQueen. It made me feel like we had a support team. All physicians quoted in this article use PS Suite EMR and are clients of MD Physician Services Software. PS Suite EMR is a leading EMR solution, which also offers a fully integrated mydoctor.ca Health Portal, developed exclusively for Canadian physicians. For more information, please call the Hotline at 1-800-361-9151, e-mail practice.hotline@cma.ca, or visit md.cma.ca/EMR.
With PS Suite EMR, nothing falls through the cracks. Whether its our staff or a physician dealing with an issue or patient request, everything is dealt with in the system electronically and can be reviewed after, if necessary, in the audit log.
Dr. Neeraj Sanjeev Bector, Edmonton
By the numbers
Canadas evolving health needs
Life span
B.C. Medical Association president Dr. Nasir Jetha says while managing change can be difficult, we cant throw our hands up in the air when we see there are ways by which we can deliver better care and better quality.
PHOTO: RAYMOND LUM
1961:
71 years
IMPROVEMENTS
2011:
81.4 years
Initiatives aim to improve care and better manage health care costs
n an age of health care cutbacks and harried practitioners, a sign in Dr. Davidicus Wongs medical ofce in Burnaby, B.C., sends an unusual message. The sign asks patients to reveal their complete lists of medical problems at the start of each visit, so that each can be addressed thoroughly by the family physician and his staff. Its a philosophy of quality that Dr. Wong both practices and teaches as the Family Practice Champion of the provinces Practice Support Program. Set up by the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) and the B.C. Ministry of Health under the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC), the program helps family doctors and their ofces enhance both their efciency and the level of care they provide. It includes nancial incentives, strategies and training modules in areas ranging from chronic disease management to better scheduling, sessions that Dr. Wong helps to deliver. I tell my colleagues to embrace the list, he says, explaining that some doctors limit patients to one medical problem per visit, to keep appointments short. But it can actually be more efcient for the doctor to know all aspects of their conditions, because it can help uncover related issues and plan overall care, says Dr. Wong, who has been practising for 20 years. Its a new way of listening. Such quality initiatives are intended to improve the health of the population, enhance the patient experience and reduce or at least control the cost of health care. We are on the right track, says Dr. Nasir Jetha, the president of the BCMA, adding that the GPSC is having a benecial effect on processes and outcomes in the province. The patient is getting the best care possible, the physicians have the right tools, and its a benet to the health care system in terms of savings. Dr. Jetha, who has been practising as a pediatrician in Vancouver for 27 years, says that managing change can be challenging for doctors. But we cant throw our hands up in the air when we see there are ways by which we can deliver better care and better quality. There are more to come in B.C., Dr. Wong says, such as additional training modules focused on areas such as palliative care and youth mental health. Theres many, many layers to improving quality, he explains. For example, he is the Medical Lead and Chair of the Burnaby Division of Family Practice, set up under the GPSC, sort of a new doctors lounge where a communitys family physicians have a voice to improve the health of their patients, he says. Were no longer working in isolation. The divisions, as well as the training modules and other strategies, spell the renaissance of family practice, he says. Were closing the care gap between what patients need and what they get.
2025: ?
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Health promotion/illness prevention: The health system must support Canadians in the prevention of illness and the enhancement of their well-being. The broader social determinants of health (e.g., income, education level, housing, employment status) affect the ability of individuals to assume personal responsibility for adopting
and maintaining healthy lifestyles and minimizing exposure to avoidable health risks. Co-ordinated investments in health promotion and disease prevention, including attention to the role of the social determinants of health, are critical to the future health and wellness of Canadians and to the viability of the health care system.
CHRONIC DISEASE
PRINCIPLE
RISK MANAGEMENT
Poll shows Canadians need to wake up to chronic disease truths According to poll results reported in the 2011 Heart & Stroke Foundation Report on Canadians Health, nine out of 10 Canadians are jeopardizing the quality and length of their lives. The foundation found that many Canadians are in denial about their risk factors for heart disease such as being overweight and being physically inactive risk factors they can manage and control. While the poll results indicates 90% of Canadians rate themselves as healthy, the reality is:
9/10
Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Approx.
50%
of Canadians dont meet the physical activity and healthy eating recommendations.
25%
of Canadian adults are obese. The foundations prescription for a healthy lifestyle and more quality years of life includes managing controllable risk factors by following a healthy diet, being physically active, knowing and controlling ones blood pressure and cholesterol levels, maintaining a healthy weight, being smoke-free, reducing stress, managing diabetes and limiting alcohol consumption.
Governments across Canada will soon decide the future of our healthcare.
Lets Put
Birth rate
1932:
22.4 births/ 1,000 population
EXPERT OPINIONS
People First!
2011:
10.28 births/ 1,000 population
2025: ?
Together we can make the health of Canadians the centre of the debate.
cancer.ca
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If you are living in an isolated community and are on a low income, the apple-a-day approach to health is not relevant.
Scott Haldane, President, YMCA Canada
SERVICE DELIVERY
Canada president Scott Haldane witnessed recently when he visited several First Nation communities as chair of a national panel on native education. If you are living in an isolated community and are on a low income, the apple-a-day approach to health is not relevant, he says. In addition to struggling with a lagging food security, First Nation families also contend with high unemployment, substandard housing and high dropout rates. The latter is particularly concerning, says Mr. Haldane, as youth who dont graduate high school are more likely to fall into substance abuse, be unemployed and live in poverty all factors that contribute to poor health. Lack of education also affects the ability to access, understand and act on health information. How can you educate yourself about wellness and develop the skills you need to care for yourself if you cant read? asks Dr. Haggie. The disparities in health status between First Nation populations and the rest of Canada are striking and disturbing. Compared to the national average, First Nations communities have double the infant mortality rate, three to ve times the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, 30 times the rate of tuberculosis infection and a life expectancy that is ve to seven years lower. Closing these gaps in health outcomes will require the development of innovative, culturally relevant community-based programs that address a wide range of social issues. We cannot talk about health in isolation, says Shawn Atleo, Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief.
YMCA Canada president and CEO Scott Haldane says youth who dont graduate high school are more likely to fall into substance abuse, be unemployed and live in poverty all factors that contribute to poor health.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Towards that end, AFN recently held a national health forum that highlighted the need for First Nation control of First Nation health to achieve fair and sustainable health service delivery to their communities. Experts discussed the need for programs that tackle inequities in education, overcome barriers to economic development and improve infrastructure so that communities have access to clean water and safe housing. Funding is critical to implementing these plans. In 2010, First
Nation communities received less than half the funding given to non-First Nation communities to provide basic services for their citizens ($8,754 compared to $18,724). If services and programs do not receive sustained, equitable funding, health care and judicial costs in First Nation communities will reach close to $1 billion over the next 10 years. Collective action at this juncture in history is critical. If we dont act now, we risk the loss of an entire generation, says National Chief Atleo.
By the numbers
Canadas evolving health needs
Infant mortality
1911:
120 deaths/ 1,000 live births
2011:
4.92 deaths/ 1,000 live births
2025: ?
While they have proved to be cost efficient, demand for home care services is expected to soon outstrip the sectors human resources capacity.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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PRINCIPLE
providers and funders all have a responsibility to ensure the system is effective and accountable. This includes: good governance, responsible use, strong public reporting, enforceability and redress, leadership/stewardship and a responsive/innovative approach to care.
ECONOMICS
Don Drummond, a former senior federal finance official and TD Bank chief economist, says to become more sustainable, Canadas health care system needs to shift from an acute-care model to a chronic-care model and also broaden its scope to health in general including prevention and socio-economic factors that lead to health issues. PHOTO: MARK HOLLERAN/HOLLERONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM as the diagnosis, prognosis and perhaps even the medicine, says Mr. Drummond. Improving the efciency and sustainability of the system, he adds, will require a range of actions from organizational and informational improvements, to reforming service delivery incentives and sharpening the focus of health care. Mr. Drummond believes the necessary reforms can be accommodated under the current public administration or nancing model without modifying the general parameters of the Canada Health Act. Specically, he would like to see better integration of the system around the patient. For instance, better value for money could be achieved when high-needs patients, such as high-needs diabetes patients, are closely attached to a primary care practice. Cost reductions, in this instance, might be had from a substantial reduction in hospital costs the greater the attachment to one primary care group, the lower the overall costs on the health system, he says. Peter Barrett, a past president of the Canadian Medical Association, believes the health care system can move towards sustainability by focusing on quality and safety and reducing waste. There are still huge variations in what we do and how we do it. Variation is the breeding ground for error; most other organizations know that and try to standardize their activity. We need to do that too, says Dr. Barrett. He adds that a focus on evidence-based best practices improves outcomes and quality and saves money. Ultimately we will need policy changes to bring about some of these reforms, but a lot can be done without policy changes. If it is good for patients and the system, it seems to me to be a no brainer, says Dr. Barrett.
patient care
By fostering the Physician/Physician Assistant Model, we can ensure superior care for Canadians and improve access to quality medical care.
Optimizing
Physician Assistants
Adjoints au mdecin
Optimiser les
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