Canada's progress in renewing health-care delivery halfway into the 10-year term of a historic accord is spotty, a new report says.
"We're characterizing the progress on health reform and renewal as being a glass half-empty, half-full," Dr. Don Juzwishin, CEO of the Health Council of Canada, told Canada AM on Wednesday.
"Yes, there have been some significant improvements made, but there is still an awful long way to go."
The council was established to track progress in meeting the goals of the accord, signed on Feb. 5, 2003 by then-prime minister Jean Chretien and most premiers except those of Alberta and Ontario.
According to the council's report to be released today, some key areas where progress has not been made include:
- Catastrophic drug coverage
- Home care
- Aboriginal health services
The catastrophic drug coverage was to have been in place by the end of 2006.
"This has not happened. The National Pharmaceuticals Strategy, which was promised in 2004 to address this and other issues related to prescription medicines, is in limbo," the report said.
Improving "timely and equitable access to health care," particularly in rural areas, has considerable room for improvement, he said.
The council has recommended the establishment of primary care centres and getting away from the notion that health care is just about emergency centres, Juzwishin said.
There are a number of pilot projects across Canada aimed at strengthening the quality of care, he said.
"But the innovation is very spotty. What we need to be able to do is advance it far more effectively across the country so that all Canadians can get access to that kind of excellent care," he said.
Although the health-care system has room for improvement, the council believes Canadians can also do more to take responsibility for their own health, Juzwishin said.
Chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity will also pose challenges going forward, he said.
Accountability within the system is another critical point, he said.
"By the time the health accords are completed, there will have been $230 billion spent on the health accords, and we're going to have to be very, very careful to ensure we're getting the kind of results those dollars were intended for," Juzwishin said.
Some provinces are making information such as wait-list information available on their websites, but more can be done, he said.
The provinces should also aim to extend the range of information beyond the "big five" areas of treatment, Juzwishin said.
The report said the country will not achieve the goal of having electronic health records for half of Canadians by 2010.
There is a price for not improving the health system, it said.
"(Canadians) pay through missed opportunities to receive appropriate health care and missed opportunities for better health or quality of life.
"And because they pay through taxes, Canadians have a right to expect better value and greater accountability for what their health care dollars buy."
