Today the CCPA released Public Solutions to Health Care Waitlists by Dr.
Michael Rachlis. The news release for the report is pasted below. The full
report can be downloaded from the CCPA web site at
http://www.policyalternatives.ca
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 15, 2005
Genuine solutions to health care wait-time problem lie in the public sector
OTTAWA A study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives shows that there are public sector solutions to Canada's wait
list problems. While often touted, private for-profit clinics actually tend
to make things worse.
Author Dr. Michael Rachlis asserts that, instead of going down this road,
Canadians should choose public sector solutions. The paper highlights two
innovative approaches:
1. establish more specialized public short-stay surgical centres; and
2. adopt modern methods of queue management from other sectors.
Rachlis points to Toronto's Queensway Surgicentre and Winnipeg';s Pan-Am
Clinic as examples of how the public clinics achieve the benefits of
specialization and innovation, normally ascribed to the private sector.
And, these public clinics reduce administrative costs and provide broader
societal benefits. The public system should shift as many minor procedures
and low-risk elective surgeries as possible to short-stay, public,
specialized clinics,61; says Rachlis.
Rachlis also demonstrates how queue management techniques applications can
be used to redesign services, smooth patient flow, and reduce delays.
60;Canadians tend to assume that if there is a wait for health care, there
isn57;t enough of it,61; Rachlis says. 60;However, most delays are due to
poorly designed services. We need to look at delays through the 56;lens of
flow57;.61;
The Saskatoon Community Clinic has virtually eliminated their previous 4
week delays to see family doctors. Saskatchewan plans same day service for
the entire province within five years.
Finally, despite claims that private clinics will deliver faster care at a
better price, peer-reviewed literature demonstrates that for-profit care
tends to cost more while, if anything, providing inferior quality services.
60;There is no shortage of public sector solutions if the political will is
present,61; says Rachlis. 60;But the pursuit of many of these public sector
solutions is incompatible with the further proliferation of private,
for-profit clinics. Increased reliance on these clinics merely diverts
public dollars to shareholders and insurance companies. And, for-profit
clinics aggravate personnel shortages.61;
60;Let57;s not add private problems to our health care system,61; Rachlis
concludes. 60;We already have the public solutions at hand. Let57;s put
them into practice.61;
-30-
Public Solutions to Health Care Waitlists is available on the CCPA web site
at http://www.policyalternatives.ca
For more information contact:
Kerri-Anne Finn, CCPA Communications Officer, 613-563-1341 x306
--
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
410-75 Albert Street, Ottawa ON K1P 5E7
tel: 613-563-1341 fax: 613-233-1458
http://www.policyalternatives.ca
caw567
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