Providing care that is person-centred is a key goal for
provincial and territorial health systems in Canada.(1)
This is demonstrated by a number of provinces having
recently put forward legislation or key strategies working
towards this aim. For example, in 2014, the Ministry of
Health of British Columbi...
Alcohol consumption is currently the world's third largest risk
factor for disease, attributable for 5.1% of the global burden of
disease, with clear links to conditions such as neuropsychiatric
disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, cancer, intentional injuries,
unintentional injuries, cardiovascular dis...
With the Canadian government set to introduce
legislation in the spring of 2017 to legalize the use of
cannabis, there is a need to plan for any health and
social challenges associated with this policy change.(1)
Though the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and
Regulation has produced a report outlinin...
A number of current pressures on the health system,
including an aging population, increased prevalence
of chronic and co-morbid conditions, and increasing
focus on patient self-management and patientcentred care, are driving interest in delivering care in new ways. With technology playing an increasingl...
Total expenditure on health and long-term care is rising
across Canada and is predicted to continue rising over the
next decade.(1) The increased need for public resources to
be allocated to this sector is straining government budgets
and represents a major area of public concern.(1) This strain
is felt ...
The number of Canadians aged 65 or older is
expected to double within the next two decades,
and the proportion of those over the age of 80 is
expected to grow from 27.5% in 2012 to 32% in
2036.(1; 2) This trend holds true in British
Columbia (which is where the request came from
for this synthesis) where...
As noted by the Health Council of Canada in 2013, there
are many definitions of quality in healthcare, but a
common conception of it is “the degree to which health
services for individuals and populations increase the
likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent
with current professional kn...
As of last year, nearly two million Ontarians saw their
family physicians for mental health and addictions
concerns. These two conditions account for
approximately 10% of the disease burden in Ontario.(1)
Psychiatric alternate level of care (ALC) days and longstay days represent a significant portion of ...
Oral health is important for the overall well-being of
children and adults, and poor oral health has been linked
to other diseases and serious health conditions such as
respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes
and poor nutritional status. Ontario provides public coverage for a limited sc...
Mental health presents one of the highest disability
burdens on the planet, but it has not historically received
a corresponding amount of attention in research and
policy arenas.
Developing mental health strategies and other policies
with an understanding of what the research evidence on
the issue says ...