Nothing to Brag About

From the Canadian Press, Nov 1, 2007:

Canada rates worst on health-care waiting times among 7 countries
The Canadian Press

WASHINGTON — Canada has the worst rating in a new study of health care in seven countries when it comes to wait times for seeing doctors and getting elective surgery.

And the Commonwealth Fund says Canadians are most likely to report going to an emergency room as an alternative to a visit to a doctor’s office or clinic.

Some 12,000 people were surveyed last spring by the Commonwealth Fund. The results have now been released in Washington.

Only 22 per cent of Canadians survey say they could get a same-day appointment when they’re sick. Thirty per cent — by far the highest among the countries — say they had to wait six days or more.

And 15 per cent reported waits of six months or more for non-emergency surgery.

Meantime, two-thirds reported having a lot of difficulty getting care at night, on weekends or holidays.

‘‘The report indicates that Canadians are saying the same thing to politicians that they’re saying to the Commonwealth Fund: access to physicians and access to medical services has to improve,’’ said Health Minister Tony Clement.

‘‘We share that concern.’’

The number of people with chronic conditions reporting a medical mistake or medication error in the past two years is 28 per cent. That was the highest among all countries surveyed except the United States, which had 32 per cent.

‘‘This bolsters my opinion that Canada does have to lay an emphasis on patient safety,’’ said Clement, who attended a session in Washington on the findings.

‘‘On the plus side, when it comes to access to care without extra payment, Canada stands out very well among the top of the nations. That’s certainly a value that Canadians treasure.’’

Twelve per cent of Canadians skipped some form of care in the past year because of cost-related problems, compared with 37 per cent in the United Sates.

Still, 12 per cent of Canadians also reported spending more than $1,000 on medical care in the last year.

Ninety-one per cent of Canadians reported having a regular doctor or place of care.

But 60 per cent said they think Canada’s system needs fundamental changes, with 12 per cent saying it should be rebuilt completely.

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So why do Canadians brag about their poor health care system? Probably because its free. I can't put a price on my health. Can you?