Toward a true health accord
Later this month, Canada’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Philpott, will meet with her provincial and territorial counterparts in Vancouver. This is no ordinary get-together.
When it comes to medical tests and treatments, more is not always better
As technology and medical knowledge progress, doctors and patients have access to many more screening tools. But with the availability of more tests, also comes the risk of overtesting and overdiagnosis, worries health care researcher, Alan Cassels and doctors Wendy Levinson and Eric Bohm. They explain why more medical tests and treatments do not necessarily […]
Check out the most popular articles on the EvidenceNetwork.ca site from 2015
It was another great year for content produced by Evidence Network experts and authors. We created more than 150 original op-eds, podcasts, videos, posters and backgrounders on a wide range of health policy issues for publication in the mainstream media.
Moving forward on health care reform
Why more money for health care is not the answer A version of this commentary appeared in the Hill Times, the Huffington Post and Policy Options In the Speech from the Throne and since, the new Liberal government has clearly said it is ready to re-engage with the provinces and territories on health care. This is a […]
Setting the conditions for good long-term health
Last year at a camp in southern New Brunswick I met Evan. Before turning eight, he had bounced from foster home to foster home. He was sent to camp without a bathing suit or sufficient lunch. Regardless, Evan smiled constantly, excelled in school and had a striking sense of compassion. I still think about Evan all the time — what allowed him to thrive in spite of the cards he had been dealt?
Many Canadians struggle to put food on the table
For many Canadians, food plays a central role in the holiday festivities. But for those experiencing food insecurity, a bountiful feast will not be in the cards this year. Over 4 million Canadians, including 1.15 million children experience some level of food insecurity.
Les données, un bien public?
The Research Chair Pocosa/Policies, Knowledge and Health hosted a round-table discussion in Montreal on November 26, 2015 about the use of administrative data in the health care sector. Health data is still largely under-exploited by researchers and civil society. How can these databases be used to better analyze and reform the health care system in Canada? Are administrative databases a […]
Our healthcare system designed for the convenience of practitioners, not patients
We have built a sickness care system rather than a health system This convocation speech was delivered to graduating MDs at the University of Manitoba on the receipt of an honorary doctorate on May 14, 2015. André Picard is a health reporter and columnist at The Globe and Mail, where he has been a staff […]
Backgrounder: Making Sense of the U.S. Health Care System: A Primer
The U.S. health care system is not a universally accessible system – it is a publicly and privately-funded patchwork of fragmented systems and programs. Insured Americans are covered by both public and private health insurance, with a majority covered by private insurance plans through their employers.
Using incarceration as an opportunity to improve inmates’ health
One in 200 Canadians is detained or incarcerated in jail or prison every year, yet their access to health care is a far cry from the services offered in Canadian communities. Dr. Ruth Martin and Dr. Fiona Kouyoumdjian explain how incarceration ー even for short time spans ー can be a time to improve an inmate’s health and reduce […]
