H E A L T H C A R E   P O L I C Y

Canadians often tell themselves that they enjoy “the best healthcare system in the world.” Unfortunately, the evidence doesn’t support these claims. Despite very high per-capita spending levels, Canada’s healthcare system underperforms in comparison to a number of European countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Sweden. In many European countries, wait times for healthcare services are much shorter than in Canada. AIMS research focuses on identifying and measuring the performance gaps between Canada and some of its peer nations and on identifying policy strategies and global best practices that can help reduce wait times and improve patient care in Canada.

AIMS research in the healthcare sector also focuses on the development of policy ideas that can help strengthen the role of consumers themselves within the healthcare system. Our work examines global practices and policy ideas that provide patients with more access to information about their own health status and treatment options, enabling them to be active, leading participants in their own team of health care providers.

POLICY PAPERS & OP-ED COMMENTARIES

 

Drug Re-Importation in North America and Europe

The United States cannot solve its prescription drug insurance problem through Canada's back door. That's the conclusion of this AIMS' health care paper on drug re-importation.  "We should be concerned when American politicians start using re-importation of Canadian drugs as a political smokescreen. A policy of controlling US drug costs ...
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/ / Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Policy Papers

Knowable Now

The latest Canadian Health Care Consensus Group (CHCCG) Background Paper, Knowable Now: Knowable known unknowns of Canadian health care explains that much of the information collected on Canada's health care system is considered to be unusable because it is not comparable between provinces, incomplete or inconsistent. Worse, it is then ...
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/ / Healthcare, Policy Papers

Form Over Function?

Do Canadians value form over function? In suggesting that governments should be considering expanded opportunities for private delivery of health care in Canada, the Canadian Medical Association has been accused of putting profit for doctors ahead of Canadian values. In Form over Function, the latest commentary from the Canadian Health ...
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/ / Healthcare, Policy Papers

Taking the Pulse

  Taking the Pulse looks at the measures or indicators used to determine the quality of care in hospitals. Author Julia Witt points out that existing reports often concentrate on whether hospitals perform above or below average on numbers or types of procedures. She suggests other indicators would be more important to ...
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/ / Healthcare, Policy Papers

Private Supply, Public Benefit

What if there was a proven way to reduce wait times for certain important surgical procedures? What if it was being ignored by health care stakeholders? In this background paper, Private Supply, Public Benefit: Reduce wait times with specialty hospitals, the Canadian Health Care Consensus Group (CHCCG) examines the reluctance ...
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/ / Healthcare, Policy Papers
MEDIA MENTIONS

 

Vancouver Sun: Medical Marijuana Regulations No Bargain for Consumers

The recently introduced Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) are set to replace Health Canada’s Medical Marijuana Access Regulations (MMAR) on April 1, after which the production and sale of ...
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Blame government for rationing care

The Chronicle Herald - September 20, 2013It is crass to talk about medical practice and money in the same breath. However, it can’t be avoided. Most health care in Nova ...
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Passport to the operating table

Halifax well-positioned to profit from medical tourism, Alberta doctor says Halifax is perfectly positioned to become a mecca for medical tourists, says a proponent of a queue-jumping model for Canadian ...
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Maritime Morning: Senator Kelvin K. Ogilvie & Charles Cirtwill on the AIMS health conference

In this Maritime Morning interview, Senator Kelvin K. Ogilvie and AIMS president and CEO Charles Cirtwill join Jordi Morgan of News 95.7 to talk about the AIMS health care conference ...
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