This report examines whether Canada's health care system is meeting the needs of people with chronic health conditions and how changes to care can improve their health.
It includes results from the first national survey that asks Canadians with chronic health conditions about their experiences with care, as well as an international survey of patients in seven countries. These surveys focused on seven select chronic conditions: arthritis, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain lung diseases, and mood disorders.
The growing prevalence of chronic health conditions is important because they have a profound impact on the health care system and on the health and well-being of over nine million Canadians, or over one in three people. One-third of these people have multiple long-term health problems and half live with moderate to severe levels of disability.
The Health Council's research raises questions about the current quality of chronic care, particularly the gaps in helping patients manage their conditions and reduce the risk of complications.
The Health Council makes recommendations to both government and Canadians. They recommend that governments:
Invest in proven strategies that improve the quality of care and engage people in managing their own chronic health conditions;
- Adopt an all-of-government approach to create the social and environmental conditions people need to reduce their risk for chronic illness;
- Speed up development of interprofessional teams as part of a broader redesign of traditional family doctor practices across Canada;
- Develop and use appropriate data systems to support better tracking, research and public reporting on chronic health conditions and the impact of investments to promote health and access to care.
No comments:
Post a Comment