Commentaries, Waiting for Care
Is it fair to make a public appeal for a live organ donor?The public response to the appeal on behalf of Eugene Melnyk, owner of the Ottawa Senators hockey team, for a liver donor has been a heart-warming demonstration of the generosity of our community. Fortunately, a donor was found and the transplant was performed in time to save his life.
How to eliminate MRI wait lists in the public health systemValue for money appears to be finally getting the attention it merits as Alberta’s new health minister, Stephen Mandel, takes the reins of the portfolio that is close to consuming 50% of the province’s operating budget.
Patient-centred healthcare could reduce wait times and improve the Canadian health systemOvercrowded EDs, stressed staff and concerns about patient safety are problems witnessed more often than any health care professional would wish. How to prevent this chaos?
Canadians want patient online healthcare optionsEight in ten Canadian adults want online access to their own health information yet fewer than one in 10 currently have it, so says a new study published in Healthcare Papers.
Why you must see your doctor after a trip to the ERTelevision shows have popularized the theatrical entrance into the hospital emergency room: patients racing down hallways on gurneys with worried doctors and nurses running alongside — great drama. How most patients leave the emergency room isn’t quite as dramatic, but the facts tell a good news story.
Report card on wait times in Canada omits important developmentsCanadians might have been inclined to take a sedative for an anxiety attack after reading about the Wait Time Alliance’s (WTA) 2014 report card on waits for medical care in Canada. The WTA gives Canada a failing grade on the structural changes it says are needed to have the timely access to care seen in other countries.
What’s wrong with hospital rankings?The CBC’s Fifth Estate recently produced an investigation on the quality of hospitals in Canada – “Rate My Hospital” – which has been enormously popular and set off discussions across the country about the need to improve our hospital services.
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By Trafford Crump and Erik Hellsten
Alberta’s provincial health authority has recently come under fire by opposition party MLAs and activists alike for closing 77 Calgary long-term care beds damaged by the June floods. The angry reaction demonstrates the common misperception that a shortage of beds is the major cause of persistent waiting lists for long-term care.