Why We Need More Canadian Health Policy In The Media

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.

Why We Need More Canadian Health Policy in the Media is a€compilation of€EvidenceNetwork.ca commentaries published in major newspapers in 2015, written by experts in the health policy field. These articles highlight the most recent evidence on a wide range of 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€Cana.

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.

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.

In April 2001, the Prime Minister established the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. Its mandate was to review medicare, engage Canadians in a national dialogue on its future, and make recommendations to enhance the system's quality and sustainability. The 47 recommendations in this report outline actions that must be taken in 10 critical areas, starting by renewing the foundations of medicare and considering Canada's role in improving health around the world.

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.