healthcare delivery Flashcards
Canada compared to global averages
- Canadians make 4x more money
- life expectancy = 11 years higher
- Canadians largely have high access to clean drinking water, childhood immunization, & public funded health care
current health challenges in Canada
- 3/5 deaths due to cancer or cardiovascular disease
- sharp increase in obesity 7 type II diabetes
- hypertension affects 1/4 Canadians
- 1/5 will experience a mental health issue this year
- infectious diseases are less of a burden, chronic conditions are greatest burden
history of Canada’s health care system
- 1948: first universal publicly funded health care system, proposed & developed by NDP party’s Tommy Douglas (premier of Saskatchewan)
- mandated healthcare as ‘a right and not a privilege’
- 1957: insurance plans were in place so that physicians could be paid
- 1964: federal govn’t paid for much of the plan
- 1972: all provinces had joined (began in Saskatchewan)
- 1984: initial Medical Care Act was replaced by Canada Health Act (still exists today)
public administration - guiding principle of Canada Health Act
- provincial health bodies oversee delivery & administration of health care on nonprofit bases, public rather than private
comprehensiveness - guiding principle of Canada Health Act
- all services considered necessary are included (access to physicians, surgeons, specialists, dentists, etc.) & must be insured
universality - guiding principle of Canada Health Act
- all residents that are insured & part of this plan are entitled to same level of healthcare with the same standard
portability - guiding principle of Canada Health Act
- resident that moves to different province is still entitled to coverage from their home province until new coverage kicks in
accessibility - guiding principle of Canada Health Act
- all insured people should have same level of access to healthcare
Canada healthcare system by global standards
- high quality of people, places, equipment
- relatively equal access
- high quality of care
- adequate resources
- good IMR & longevity/life expectancy statistics
Canada healthcare system limitations by global standards
- some of the longest wait times in developed world
- fewer physicians per capita (2.2 per 1000 population)
- limited services & access in rural area
- greater focus on prevention is needed
medical services plan of BC
- under Medicare Protective Act, it is mandatory for residents to enroll in MSP in order to access healthcare services
- as of jan 1, 2020, monthly MSP fees have been eliminated
- replaced by employer health tax on behalf of individual
- MSP pays physicians by a ‘fee-for-service’ model (pays for their services)
services not covered by MSP
- cosmetic surgery (botox, fillers, liposuction)
- regular dental services
- eye examination & glasses
- prescription drugs
- limited chiropractic, massage therapy, naturopathy, physiotherapy coverage
- these items may be covered by ‘extended health’ which is insurance from private insurance companies (ex; Pacific Blue Cross)
Canadian physicians
- have medical degrees (M.D.) from one of 17 accredited Canadian medical schools (or another accredited medical school)
- four year M.D. program is preceded by four-year undergraduate degree
- after earning an M.D., physicians spend 2-5 years specializing through internships & residences
- before practicing, all physicians must obtain a medical license
BC’s health care system
- Canadian physicals are self-employed
- when doctor sees patient, they bill Medical Services Commission & are paid according to fee schedule
- patients can be charged for certain items (crutches, walkers), devices (IUDs, contraceptives), & certain forms (healthcare note)
- some physicians ‘opt-out’ of MSP & are permitted to charge patients directly → patients are reimbursed by MSP
- extended healthcare will cover individuals for certain services that are not covered by MSP
Medicare Protection Act
- protects from ‘extra billing’
- patients cannot be charged for consumables (exam gowns, tongue depressors, rental fees for equipment)
Canadian ‘welfare state’ model
- emerged after Depression era, similar to many Western European countries
- physicians are self-employed
Cuban ‘socialist’ model
- also universal, but all clinics & hospitals are govn’t run
- physicians are govn’t employees
US ‘free enterprise’ model
- health care facilities are part of private sectors
- no universal healthcare (insurance companies are for-profit)
- some systems & insurances (Medicare, Obamacare) help individuals who can’t afford healthcare
Canadian patient medical rights
- access medical records & have those kept private (issue now that more records are kept electronically → hacking, breaching)
- illegal to keep patient records on server located outside Canada
- receive treatment that provides reasonable degree of care
- know potential dangers & benefits of any treatment
- receive competent diagnosis & treatment
- retain control & dignity of person
- autonomy (make your own decisions) & designate person to make decisions if they cannot
- give informed consent for hospitalization, surgery, & other treatments
- give informed consent for any research studies (be made aware of)
- under certain conditions, elect for medical aid in dying
self-medication
- over-the-counter (OTC) treatments are important part of health
- non-prescription OTC drugs are medications that have been determined by Health Canada to be safe for use without physicians prescription
- during any six-month period, about 2/3 of Canadians use one or more OTC drugs
- many OTC drugs were previously prescription drugs
- generic drugs (contain same active ingredient) must meet same Health Canada standards as their brand name counterparts