Canadian Health Policy In The News Why Evidence Matters

Canadian Health Policy in the News is a compendium of the commentaries (or OpEds) published by Evidence Network in major newspapers across the country from April 2011 up to October 2012. It is a timely, balanced and non-partisan snapshot of what’s new and controversial concerning our healthcare system and related social programs that affect health and well-being in our country — with evidence at the forefront. This book is available free-of-charge so that you can share it widely, in your classrooms, amongst your friends and colleagues, on your websites and via social media. Canadian health policy will always be emerging and unfolding, responding to changing environmental and economic factors, new technologies, publicly held values and differing political landscapes. Canadian Health Policy in the News captures a moment in time and presents the issues that concern Canadians most, grounding our national discourse and debate on healthcare in the best evidence. With thanks to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Manitoba Health Research Council whose funding supports EvidenceNetwork.ca.

Making Evidence Matter in Canadian Health Policy is a compendium of Op-Eds published in the media in 2012-2013 by some of Canada’s leading experts in the field, offering a snapshot of the evidence on the issues of the day. It is the second in a series of eBooks produced by EvidenceNetwork.ca, the first being Canadian Health Policy in the News.. This second volume addresses a range of controversial topics, such as whether or not our health system is sustainable and how our health care dollars are spent. Other sections address pharmaceutical policy, private-for-profit delivery of care, social determinants of health, aging, mental health and obesity.

Why We Need More Canadian Health Policy in the Media is a compilation of health policy commentaries published by EvidenceNetwork.ca experts in major newspapers in 2015. These articles highlight the most recent evidence on a wide range of health policy topics, including our aging population, healthcare costs and spending, mental health, pharmaceutical policy, the social determinants of health and distinctions between the Canadian and American healthcare system among other topics. This is the fourth volume in the annual series of eBooks produced by EvidenceNetwork.ca, the first being Canadian Health Policy in the News (2013), followed by Making Evidence Matter in Canadian Health Policy (2014) and Navigating the Evidence: Communicating Canadian Health Policy in the Media (2015). We acknowledge the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Research Manitoba, the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, the George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation, CIHR’s Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, and their Institute of Population and Public Health, The Canadian Frailty Network, and the University of Manitoba’s Department of Community Health Sciences and Max Rady College of Medicine whose funding supports EvidenceNetwork.ca.

Navigating the Evidence: Communicating Canadian Health Policy in the Media is a compilation of the EvidenceNetwork commentaries published in major newspapers in 2014, written by experts in the health policy field. These Op-Eds highlight the most recent evidence on a wide range of topics, including our aging population, healthcare sustainability, costs and spending, and the impact of the social determinants of health. It also contains essays addressing key concerns around mental health, obesity and pharmaceutical policy, among other topics. This is the third volume in the annual series of eBooks produced by EvidenceNetwork, the first being Canadian Health Policy in the News (2013), followed by Making Evidence Matter in Canadian Health Policy (2014). In this volume, please find our second compendium of Op-Eds (materials published from October 2012 to October 2013). Like our first eBook, this second volume is a snapshot of a year in the health policy debates of our country. We've not altered the materials to reflect changes that may have taken place since the commentaries were written, but left them as they were published, to represent accurately the time in which they were written. Most Op-Eds were originally published in English, with some translated into French, where we had resources. A few were originally published in French, with English translations. The book is organized into key themes that EvidenceNetwork experts have agreed to tackle --areas where we feel the evidence is not yet being fairly represented in media, policy and/or political circles, and where we feel we can make a contribution. Sustainability documents the challenges of affording the healthcare system Canadians want and need, and explores the way our health system gives us a competitive advantage internationally, and fleshes out optimized funding formulas that work for all regions of the country. Costs and Spending looks at remuneration systems and how they may differently incentivize those who work in the health domain in Canada, the relationship between health care dollars and healthcare quality, and how our health system contributes to a more equal society. This section highlights why healthcare costs so much and what parts of the system are eating up our healthcare dollars. Pharmaceutical Policy looks at patent processes and access to affordable, quality medications, at the over-prescription of certain medications, and the relationship of pharmaceutical firms to health research, education and marketing. This section highlights the research suggesting why a national pharmacare program makes sense, and the health cost of affordable pharmaceutical drugs, as well as the variations of drug programs across the country -- what's working and what's not. Private, For-Profit examines the evidence comparing private-for-profit delivery of healthcare with public delivery, and the problems which arise in those sectors that largely aren't covered by our public healthcare system, such as prescription glasses or dental care. Health is More than Healthcare details the important social determinants of health, such as the relationship between poverty and good health, home and food security, income distribution, chronic stress, discrimination in the health system and healthy parenting. Aging Population looks at the impact of our aging society on our health system, and does some myth busting on the so-called “aging tsunami,” as well examining the need for pension reform in Canada, and what path that might take. Mental Health, a new topic of focus for EvidenceNetwork this year, examines the relationship of chronic stress and health status. More will be done in this area by our experts in the coming months -- stay tuned to our website. Also new is the section on Obesity, which looks at why traditional methods for combating the obesity epidemic have failed, and what works for those trying to change their lifestyle to healthier habits. We examine possible policy levers to help tackle obesity and look at weight-based discrimination and what can be done about it. Finally, in our Appendix A and B, we provide more details about the EvidenceNetwork project for those who wish to know more about us in detail.

This book is a snapshot of the complex and controversial issues in Canadian health policy that have been addressed in the mainstream media, including commentaries on our aging population, the sustainability of the healthcare system, the social determinants of health, essays on pharmaceutical policy, obesity, mental health and more. It is a compilation of op-eds published in Canadian newspapers from 2014, authored by experts affiliated with the non-partisan, EvidenceNetwork.ca. It is the third volume in the series of free ebooks, which also includes: Canadian Health Policy in the News (2013) and Making Evidence Matter in Canadian Health Policy (2014) — all made available for free so that they may be read and used widely in educational settings. Essays in the volume are timely, balanced, free from partisan influence and put evidence at the forefront.

This book calls into question the complexity of social, political, cultural, and technological aspects of the health care system. It explores how critical social science research can be put into action to improve health care in Canada.