Evidence Network

Most Albertans skip dental visits because the price is too high — and they aren’t alone

Last year, a provincial government report found that dental procedures cost up to 44 per cent more in Alberta than in neighbouring provinces. Does this inflated cost have an impact on dental health? You bet. A staggering 62 per cent of Albertans reported limiting dental visits due to cost concerns. That’s most Albertans skipping basic […]

The Prentice healthcare levy is not a cure for the Alberta health system

The Prentice government announced that it will restore the use of healthcare taxes so that Albertans can directly contribute to the healthcare system. On the surface, levying up to $1000 per person earning over $50,000 per year to contribute approximately $0.5 billion over two years towards an $18 billion medical treatment system sounds reasonable.

How to eliminate MRI wait lists in the public health system

Value 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.

La prestation de soins de santé privés est possible dans un système financé par l’État, mais comporte certains risques

En Alberta, une décision apparemment anodine, celle de remplacer des services de laboratoire dispensés par une multinationale états-unienne par des services offerts par une société australienne, a provoqué de véhéments tollés. Peut-on privatiser les services en santé?

Private delivery of healthcare can work in a publicly funded system but comes with risks

A decision by the Alberta Health Services last month seemed innocuous enough — to swap the tender for laboratory services from a United States-based transnational corporation to an Australian one — but it provoked a furore of discontent.

Report card on wait times in Canada omits important developments

Canadians 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.