CMA releases eleventh annual National Report Card on Health Care

CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONAug 22 2011

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) today released its eleventh annual National Report Card on Health Care in Canada. The research focuses on access to health care services and shows clear support for specific measures to make the system more accountable to patients.

The findings reveal Canadians want a health care system that empowers patients and provides them with greater accountability in their care through measures such as a patient health charter, a patient complaint and redress mechanism, such as allowing those who are not receiving adequate or timely care in their own jurisdiction to receive publicly insured care in another jurisdiction.

"Patients are too often lost in the shuffle in health care," said CMA President Dr. Jeff Turnbull. "Canadians want their territorial, provincial and federal governments to get together and create a system that revolves around the patient, rather than the other way around, and they favour practical steps that can move us forward in that direction."

The CMA's National Report Card uses public opinion data to assess the attitudes of Canadians regarding their experiences with the health care system. The Report Card is an example of the CMA's commitment to advocate for the highest standards of health and health care for Canadians by tracking access to care and government action on the health care system.

The survey found:

• 87% of Canadians agree a new patient charter should contain a "complaint mechanism" to improve accountability to patients;
• 82% of Canadians agree that a patient health charter that outlines patients' rights and responsibilities would make the system more efficient.
• 87% of Canadians agreed that a "patient health charter" should be a required part of the 2014 health care funding agreement between federal, provincial and territorial governments.
• 86% of Canadians agree that an independent ombudsman should be created by the charter to allow citizens to complain about poor health service.
• 80% of Canadians agree that the number of complaints against a jurisdiction should be reported so Canadians can compare jurisdictions to one another.
• 97% of Canadians agree federal/provincial/territorial governments need to start working together on a new health accord to replace the current agreement that expires in 2014.
• 93% of Canadians agree that federal, provincial and territorial governments should meet every year to discuss the state of health care in Canada

"We've been hearing for months now that Canadians expect their governments to take action on health care," Turnbull said. "The public clearly understands that our health care system isn't going to improve without political leadership at both the federal and provincial/territorial levels."