Report prescribes team-based approach to heal Canada's health-care system

The Current19:32Its time to take back health care for Canadians, says Jane Philpott

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Canada's health-care system may not be the brag it once was, according to former health minister Dr. Jane Philpott. She says it needs a complete overhaul, starting with a team-based approach.

"We've had this kind of collective, national myth that we've got the best health-care system in the world, when in fact we pay more than most countries in the world per capita for our health system," Philpott told Matt Galloway on The Current.

"We rank well down the ranks in terms of the outcomes that Canadians are getting for that."

Philpott is co-author of a new report,Taking Back Health Care, from the Public Policy Forum that calls for an overhaul of Canada's health-care system.

The problem is widespread. According to a September poll by the Angus Reid Institute, six million Canadians don't have a family physician.

"I think the pandemic has put us into a realization of how broken things were, and now there's an urgency that is greater than ever to get things fixed," said Philpott.

"Enough is enough. Let's fix this health-care system so that people will get what they need."

Philpott, who is now dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., says the decline of Canada's health-care system is due in part to fewer medical students enteringfamily medicine, and a poorly designed system.

Primary care home

Philpott says instead of each Canadian having a family doctor, she says everyone should have access to what she calls a "primary care home."

"That doesn't necessarily mean you're going to see a family doctor, but you should be able to, on any given day, based on the urgency of your need, be able to get access to that primary care home," she said.

That could mean being connected directly with a nurse practitioner, social worker, or pharmacist instead of a doctor.

"We can actually do so in a way that's more affordable than what we're doing now. And people will be less frustrated and actually get their ailments treated in a much more timely fashion," said Philpott.

It's something Dr. Alika Lafontaine says he's seen work in Alberta. Lafontaine is president of the Canadian Medical Association, and he says putting money into a team-based approach can not only improve health care, but also save money.

"Team-based care is an opportunity for governments to fund more than just a doctor, more than just a nurse practitioner," said Lafontaine, a co-author of the recent report.

He says in the current system, patients have to navigate a system with many separate, disconnectedparts. Ateam-based approach connects all those pieces together in one place andrequiresfewer referrals.

Philpott says such an approach hasto be something everyone has access to, not just people who can afford to pay for privately run services. And it's important that approach also includes sharing data across provincial and territorialhealth-care systems.

"Having a seamless access to data systems will improve patient care and definitely save money in the end," said Philpott.

Federal funding

Last week, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said there's been a breakthrough intalks with provincial governments on the future of health-care funding.

Lafontaine says that as politicians at the federal and provincial levels come together, it's important they listen to what people want.

"Our health systems are a reflection of what we want and who we elect. And what this report is trying to do is help people know that if we call on governments to do things, and we're consistent and we're unified in doing it, governments will respond," said Lafontaine.

And if that happens, Lafontaine is hopeful.

"If money gets invested in the right areas we really could save the system. And I think it's really that refocus that needs to happen. And we do have I do have a lot of hope that things are going to change," said Lafontaine.