For Immediate Release
(RICHMOND, B.C., 6 November, 2006) - A respected American think
tank, in a report released last week in Washington, D.C., was the
latest to criticize inefficiencies within health management in
Canada, diagnostic mistakes and a failure to effectively use
electronic records. Other studies have condemned the alarming growth
of pharmaceutical costs, and chronic adverse events, yet the only
debate seems to be how many more billions can be found to spend,
with little or no effort made to link spending to patient outcomes.
The most recent study, by the New York-based Commonwealth Fund,
sharply criticized the health care systems of both Canada and the
United States. A survey of more than 6,000 doctors in seven
countries gave Canada poor marks on several aspects of patient care,
including wait times for tests, use of electronic medical records,
doctors available after hours, multi-discipline teams to treat
chronic illness and financial incentives for improving quality of
care. The survey suggested Canada has a long way to go on many
fronts to catch up with the other countries, which included the
United Kingdom, Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and Germany.
Last year, $25 billion was spent in Canada on drugs, $7 billion
more than what was paid to all the medical doctors in the country
combined, without any system in place to determine if there is a
measurable benefit in fundamental health statistics, or to compare
patient experience with other non-drug treatment options. In fact,
prescription mistakes and drug interactions are major factors in the
alarming rise in medical misadventures and adverse events.
"Surely it is an insult to the intelligence of society to imply
that more money is the cure-all for everything? Yet that seems to be
the standard response directed at the public by health authorities
any time serious concerns are expressed,” said Dr. Jim Cooper of
Penticton, president of the British Columbia Chiropractic
Association (BCCA). “The mantra of too many people in health care
seems to be: 'these people are sick – if you pay me more money, they
will get better.' In an era when financial boondoggles such as the
gun registry and the Gomery investigations assault management
credibility, one would assume greater effort would be made to link
spending to the fatal flaws in policies and procedures.”
Dr. Cooper made these remarks on the eve of the 2006 Canadian
National Chiropractic Convention, to be held at the Westin Bayshore
in Vancouver, November 16-18. About 500 chiropractors from across
the country will be debating these and other issues.
He urged British Columbians to take advantage of Premier Gordon
Campbell's recently announced "BC Conversation on Health " to
emphasize the kind of systemic changes so urgently necessary. He
said there is evidence everywhere that turf wars among monopolies -
governments, professions, institutions and unions - are pursued with
more passion than the simple consideration of what is best for each
individual patient. He referred to the book Squandering Billions
(Hancock House,
www.hancockhouse.com) authored by Dr. Don Nixdorf, executive
director of BCCA, and journalist Gary Bannerman.
The book quoted Dr. Pran Manga, a University of Ottawa health
economist who was one of the key authors of the Canada Health Act:
"The management of our health care system is so inefficient that
we not only fail to put patients in the hands of those professionals
most qualified to give the best treatment, we actually ensure that
the most expensive and least qualified person provides the care. . .
. the structure of health management in Canada makes the squandering
of billions unavoidable."
The book Squandering Billions recognizes the public’s desire to
participate in the conversation on health and identifies for them
opportunities for better long term care, lower cost for necessary
diagnostics and more effective delivery of health care. While
hospitals are the nucleus of emergency health delivery, it is
misleading to discuss Medicare by ignoring the fact that the
majority of health care is delivered in private clinics. The system
enshrines mediocrity at the expense of patients. Canadian Medicare
was designed to insure the patient, not the practitioner. The book
asks, "why, then, are medical doctors and hospitals exempted from
competition? Evidence shows conclusively that expanded use of
community health centres, nurse practitioners, doctors of
chiropractic and others can be more effective and less expensive
within their area of expertise."
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