Everyone deserves to live a long life in full health, but not everyone is so fortunate. Some individuals and groups are more at risk of falling ill, becoming severely ill or disabled or dying prematurely (that is, before the average expected life span).
Does more healthcare create better outcomes? In other words, do more medications, tests and interventions necessarily result in healthier patients?
It turns out more care is, all too often, unnecessary care.
In a world affected by numerous diseases, disabilities and illnesses, how do governments, health care providers, media or the general public decide which ones are most important?
On June 6, the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision making physician-hastened death legal will come into effect. A parliamentary committee asked to help the government plot how that would roll out in Canada has made some far-reaching recommendations, well beyond what was contemplated by the court in Carter v. Canada.
The moment we are born, our lives take flight; and the longer we are airborne, the greater the chance of encountering turbulence along the way. While every flight is destined to land, some landings are harder to contemplate than others.
The Basic Income Guarantee is having a moment.
Hot on the heels of Quebec’s plans to work towards a basic income guarantee and a Globe and Mail Editorial Board endorsement came an announcement last Thursday of a pilot as part of Ontario’s provincial budget.
Bon nombre d’entre nous qui œuvrons dans le milieu avons été agréablement surpris d’apprendre que le parti libéral avait promis d’adopter une loi nationale sur les handicaps afin de protéger les droits des personnes handicapées, d’aplanir les obstacles systémiques et de promouvoir l’égalité des chances. L’absence de loi à cet égard est une aberration lorsqu’on se compare aux autres pays développés – les États-Unis ont adopté la leur il y a 25 ans –, si bien que l’on peut dire que l’annonce n’arrive pas trop tôt.
Who but those who have experienced it can appreciate the soul crushing anguish of mental illness? Afflictions of the mind can be paralyzing and fundamentally change the way we perceive ourselves (I am worthless), anticipate the future (my prospects are hopeless), and experience the world (life is unfair and unforgiving). The combination of self-loathing, hopelessness and despair can tragically lead to suicide.
Il y a un peu plus d’un an, on m’a invitée à participer à une activité organisée sur la Colline du Parlement pour souligner la Journée mondiale de sensibilisation à l’autisme. Y assistaient une dizaine de sénateurs des deux principaux partis, des attachés politiques ainsi que les représentants d’un éventail diversifié d’associations du secteur de l’autisme. Je m’attendais ni plus ni moins à assister, comme dans la plupart des événements de ce genre, à un concert de « bons sentiments » sur les progrès accomplis jusque-là et le long chemin qu’il restait à parcourir.
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 […]
