1. Jennifer Jilks

   Until the system works together with family, Family Health Teams, and practitioners, we will make no progress.

   Many of the battle I fought with my parents health care practitioners cited FIPPA, doctors failed to diagnose dementia (at which time PHIPA over rides FIPPA) and staff forbid that I would get information on their cases.

   Health care staff ignored the End of Life, and the LTC Resident’s Bill of rights.

   The next barrier to success was the lack of communication between my mother’s physician and CCAC, and my father’s Long-Term Care centre, myself and the physician.

   It is all about communication between practitioners, patients and family members.

   February 23rd, 2009

2. Martin McBean

   I would suggest a study on how moving to a 4 day workweek or 1 day off every two weeks could be achieved by working longer hours.
   This additional day/time off would generate the following positives:

   * more time for people to spend on recreational activities (long gardening, bicycling, weekend camping trips, hiking etc)
   * there would be a substantial reduction of car pollution as people would be driving to work less
   * this would translate into longer road lifetimes as well as saving a considerable amount of money in gasoline by virtue of reduced drving
   * more time could be spent volunteering and family activities both of which are akin to leading a happier, more relaxed and fulfilling lifestyle

   February 23rd, 2009

3. Christine Boyd

   What an awesome idea! Canadians able to provide meaningful feedback on our healthcare system. The collective knowledge and ideas of the great minds of the nation can be tapped for the good of all.
   I’ve had an idea kicking around my mind which could help improve efficiency in busy urban Emergency Departments, reducing wait times and leading to less crowded waiting rooms . What if there were a doctor on duty whose job it was to work through the “quickies”? Many people who present to Emergency require only a few minutes of time. If a doctor could be assigned to see these people (as identified by triage - for example, someone needing a stitch or two or a child with an ear infection). This could rush a large number of people through in a short period of time. This would also help avoid the spread of communicable disease because there would be fewer people with colds, flus, etc. spending extended periods in the ER waiting rooms with the more seriously ill.

   February 23rd, 2009

4. A.Witman

   First of all People should have a choice on how they take care of they body.
   Our only choice is Doctors, and hospitals. What about Homopathic Hospital. What In our system of health care the symptoms are treated on a case by case. As well the pharmaceutical company are favored by the Government. But Pharmaceutical Drug are the number 2 killer of Canadians as well 1.7 million Hospitable visits are from reaction from Pharmaceutical Drugs. Maybe The Government should put The People of Canada before the Profit. Its sample business. We could save Billions.
   Thanks A.Witman

   February 23rd, 2009

5. Audrey Spolarich

   I read the Paper by the Council on “Value for Money” and I think it is a brilliant idea and question to be addressed. My question is, what is the role of the individual citizen, in Canada or elsewhere, in determining what services should be valued? Should physician services be valued before elder care services? When spending their own money, what trade-offs would people make in spending their money with an eye toward ‘value for money?’
   Audrey Spolarich

   March 2nd, 2009

6. R D JAMES

   I have worked in three countries in health care and have visited health care in several countries. I am concerned about our system. Health care is the right of the citizens of every country. The public , the care giver and the administration need education and re thinking. We know the problems in our system and NO further studies or commissions to waste the tax payers money is needed.
   we know the causes for the escalating costs some are necessary and some, in fact a large proportion are waste of money in other words the efficiency has to be improved and make work projects to be minimized. e.g unnecessary treatments– surgery– investigations to be cut or minimized. In a study 75% of medication is not necessary even contra indicated and 25% were harmful. the same applies to surgery.
   one of the reasons for increasing cost is complications of treatments e.g. a improperly done laparoscopic gall bladder in states can cost about $ 700,000.00. the reasons are 1) inadequate training, rushing through surgery. etc the answer proper training, supervision and audit by honest well trained experienced peers .
   A community hospital O R costs about $2000 + per hour and wasting 15 min is $ 500.00. I am not advocating to rush through surgery but to avoid wasting time. Surgery to lessen wait list has to be prioritized and OR time extended, nurses paid well and increase the # trained and plug the holes for our staff leaving our country.
   to help busy doctors train more nurse physicians and O R assistant nurses.
   Investigations in a study 90% of blood work done are not seen by the physician or do not contribute to the health of patients. do every head ache and abdominal pain warrant CT scan?
   I am not favor of private medicine except in cosmetic surgery.
   We have a very top heavy administration which can be drastically cut without affecting patient well-being. the drug companies have no place in medical education in fact i believe drug research to be done by credible universities and well controlled.. The Harvard medical school, drug company scandal is well known and has to be regulated Regulation is no more a bad word ( recent economic crisis )
   I have touched some of the points of health care reform — would be glad to discuss with you or anyone else by skype etc
   I have written several briefs, the provisional govt.s have ignored but MR Allen Rock and Mr Paul Martin thought they were good and re-commanded to the provincial govts to be ignored.

   April 2nd, 2009

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