Another Myth Laid to Rest
After last year's scandal revolving around the Canadian Medical Association Journal and the resignation of its editorial staff in a disagreement with its Board of Directors, determined former editorial board members have launched the inaugural issue of a new Canadian medical journal on line, accessible to the lay public as well as medical professionals. Unlike the journal of the Canadian Medical Association, the new journal, Open Medicine, will not accept advertising and funding from pharmaceutical companies.
One of the papers published in the on-line journal is of real interest to Canadians and to the medical establishment in Canada as it puts to rest a myth about the quality of health care in this country and the cost of same to the public purse, vis-a-vis that which obtains in the United States. The authors of the report examined the results of 38 major studies comparing patient health outcomes in both countries, finding that the U.S. spent an average of $7,129 per person as opposed to the $2,956 per person spent in Canada.
Hitherto, we were given to understand that health care costs on average per person in both countries were roughly similar. Moreover, a greater number of studies appear to have favoured Canada over the United States with respect to morbidity and mortality. The studies covered a wide range of diseases and conditions, inclusive of cancer and coronary artery disease.
What this study points out is that those advocates of a two-tier system, the public, universal system Canadians have long enjoyed, existing alongside private, for-profit health care as an instrument to improve total delivery of health care services in this country will not solve our problems of lengthy wait times, nor offer improved health care delivery.
"There are issues in our health care system, but a lot of the people that are really pushing it to make it sound more dramatic than what it is have the potential to actually gain a lot financially (from for-profit care)," said McMaster University professor Dr. P.J. Devereaux, one of the authors of the report. "So part of it is to give people a reality check that, in fact, we actually have very good health outcomes in Canada."
The study indicates that in total health care delivery in Canada is equal to and in many areas surpasses that received by Americans. And that, furthermore, we're actually spending less than half of the U.S. health care system. What a surprise, since the doom-and-gloomers love to inform us constantly that we're receiving second-rate health care in comparison to the U.S.
And using that argument, repeated ad nauseum, to support their ongoing efforts to persuade Canadians that two-tier is the way to go. In the process, pressuring government to relent in its refusal to override the Canada Health Act, to permit the introduction of private, for-profit services. That is, private services which go well beyond that which we've already permitted to dilute, by necessity, the public health care system.
Needless to say the recent successful court challenge in Quebec has potentially opened new opportunities for advocates of two-tier medicine within Canada. And we do have medical clinics now operating outside of the Canada Health Act where individuals are willing to pay up front for speedy services. Translating effectively, as one system for the wealthy, another for the general public.
It's also helpful to remember the universal nature of our health care system, available to all Canadian citizens, irrespective of ability to pay for additional services. It is the very fairness of our system that is at the root of our Canadian social conscience. Which compares rather favourably, to say the least, to the situation prevailing in the United States where a huge proportion of working Americans have no access to medical insurance.
Medical and hospitalization charges for uninsured individuals translates to potential economic catastrophes for families facing huge bills they haven't the wherewithal to pay. Charity patients don't receive the same calibre of treatments available to their insured or wealthy counterparts. Individuals whose meagre means cannot cover needed medical procedures often eschew services which they need for optimum health outcomes.
Ten of the 38 studies included in the analysis enrolled broad populations, including extensive statistical adjustments with the results being that five favoured Canada, two the United States, and three indicated equivalent or mixed results. Of the remaining 28 studies, nine favoured Canada, three the United States and 16 indicated equivalent or mixed results. Which appears to place the quality of health care and outcomes in Canada well ahead of the status we've been spoonfed to believe is substandard, but the best we could attain to.
As an example of a specific condition where results favoured one country well over the other, Canadian patients with end-stage renal disease had a superior rating. The 17 doctors and researchers involved in the huge analytical study concluded that Canadians enjoyed a 5% lower death rate than people in the United States. That 5%, if supported by further studies, equates to approximately 6,000 deaths in hospital per year.
Nice to know we're doing all right, and striving for even better results.
One of the papers published in the on-line journal is of real interest to Canadians and to the medical establishment in Canada as it puts to rest a myth about the quality of health care in this country and the cost of same to the public purse, vis-a-vis that which obtains in the United States. The authors of the report examined the results of 38 major studies comparing patient health outcomes in both countries, finding that the U.S. spent an average of $7,129 per person as opposed to the $2,956 per person spent in Canada.
Hitherto, we were given to understand that health care costs on average per person in both countries were roughly similar. Moreover, a greater number of studies appear to have favoured Canada over the United States with respect to morbidity and mortality. The studies covered a wide range of diseases and conditions, inclusive of cancer and coronary artery disease.
What this study points out is that those advocates of a two-tier system, the public, universal system Canadians have long enjoyed, existing alongside private, for-profit health care as an instrument to improve total delivery of health care services in this country will not solve our problems of lengthy wait times, nor offer improved health care delivery.
"There are issues in our health care system, but a lot of the people that are really pushing it to make it sound more dramatic than what it is have the potential to actually gain a lot financially (from for-profit care)," said McMaster University professor Dr. P.J. Devereaux, one of the authors of the report. "So part of it is to give people a reality check that, in fact, we actually have very good health outcomes in Canada."
The study indicates that in total health care delivery in Canada is equal to and in many areas surpasses that received by Americans. And that, furthermore, we're actually spending less than half of the U.S. health care system. What a surprise, since the doom-and-gloomers love to inform us constantly that we're receiving second-rate health care in comparison to the U.S.
And using that argument, repeated ad nauseum, to support their ongoing efforts to persuade Canadians that two-tier is the way to go. In the process, pressuring government to relent in its refusal to override the Canada Health Act, to permit the introduction of private, for-profit services. That is, private services which go well beyond that which we've already permitted to dilute, by necessity, the public health care system.
Needless to say the recent successful court challenge in Quebec has potentially opened new opportunities for advocates of two-tier medicine within Canada. And we do have medical clinics now operating outside of the Canada Health Act where individuals are willing to pay up front for speedy services. Translating effectively, as one system for the wealthy, another for the general public.
It's also helpful to remember the universal nature of our health care system, available to all Canadian citizens, irrespective of ability to pay for additional services. It is the very fairness of our system that is at the root of our Canadian social conscience. Which compares rather favourably, to say the least, to the situation prevailing in the United States where a huge proportion of working Americans have no access to medical insurance.
Medical and hospitalization charges for uninsured individuals translates to potential economic catastrophes for families facing huge bills they haven't the wherewithal to pay. Charity patients don't receive the same calibre of treatments available to their insured or wealthy counterparts. Individuals whose meagre means cannot cover needed medical procedures often eschew services which they need for optimum health outcomes.
Ten of the 38 studies included in the analysis enrolled broad populations, including extensive statistical adjustments with the results being that five favoured Canada, two the United States, and three indicated equivalent or mixed results. Of the remaining 28 studies, nine favoured Canada, three the United States and 16 indicated equivalent or mixed results. Which appears to place the quality of health care and outcomes in Canada well ahead of the status we've been spoonfed to believe is substandard, but the best we could attain to.
As an example of a specific condition where results favoured one country well over the other, Canadian patients with end-stage renal disease had a superior rating. The 17 doctors and researchers involved in the huge analytical study concluded that Canadians enjoyed a 5% lower death rate than people in the United States. That 5%, if supported by further studies, equates to approximately 6,000 deaths in hospital per year.
Nice to know we're doing all right, and striving for even better results.
Labels: Realities
posted by Pieface | 5:52 PM
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