Momentum for patient and caregiver engagement in
health and social care is growing across Ontario.(1) This
is evidenced by a number of recently released strategies
and frameworks highlighting the importance of
involving Ontarians in their own care as informed
consumers of health and social services. One ...
Provincial and territorial health systems across Canada
continue to struggle with delivering timely access to
primary-care services. In 2016, 74% of Canadians reported
in the Commonwealth International Health Policy Survey
that they received excellent or very good care from their
regular doctor, which is...
Positioning primary care as the cornerstone of the
health system and establishing primary-care providers as
the gatekeepers and coordinators of care has been a
long-sought aim of health systems around the world.
Further, a main aim of this goal in Canada has been to
have a primary-care provider that is r...
Dementia is a complex condition and refers to
“progressive brain syndromes which affect memory,
thinking, behavior and emotion.”(1) While the
experience of dementia is different for each person, it
eventually progresses to an individual not being able to
care for themselves and requiring assistance w...
The environment in which children are growing up
today is very different than that of previous generations.
There has been tremendous innovation in how society
operates, with the rapid expansion of technology,
globalization of businesses, new careers and
opportunities, and increasingly diverse communitie...
Education is key to equipping individuals with the
necessary skills to meaningfully contribute to society.(1)
Rapid developments in technology, workforce changes
and the effects of globalization mean that societies are
evolving at a faster than ever pace. Responsive
education systems are needed to proper...
Ontario has both a health system and a research system that
are increasingly putting patients and rapid learning and
improvement at their centre. For the health system, a recent
notable example of such efforts was the Patients First Act
2016 which, among other things, mandated the creation of
Patient and...
Poverty reduction measures are an important approach to
improving health and well-being.(2) A recent survey found
that poverty among older adults was lower in 20 out of 35
OECD countries when compared to the population as a
whole.(3) In Canada, while the prevalence of low income
among older adults has de...
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...
There is a well-documented global trend toward
increased consumption of energy-dense and high-fat
foods, combined with increases in sedentary lifestyles.(1)
These changes have contributed to a global epidemic of
overweight and obesity, as well as significantly increased
risks for many diseases, including...
