In the News

ICES Report on Wait Times Released

In an article in the Toronto Star, "Need surgery? Get in line" ( April 7, 2005 ), results from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) "Access to Health Services in Ontario: ICES Atlas" were described. The April 2005 report, co-authored by Dr. Jack Tu (Professor in HPME), Patricia Pinfold, Paula McColgan and Dr. Andreas Laupacis (Professor in HPME), was requested by the McGuinty government and will form the baseline against which the Wait Times Strategy will be evaluated. The report is divided into four key areas: cataract surgery, cancer surgery, cardiac care and hip and knee replacements. Cardiac surgery was the one area which showed significant improvements in wait times in 2003/2004 from those reported in 2001/2002. Terry Sullivan, Associate Professor in HPME and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario , noted that the report is important because it draws attention to long wait times for cancer surgeries. The full document can be found on the ICES website.

Article Quoting Deber Picked up by News Media Across US

In an Associated Press article (March 19, 2005) suggesting that free health care in Canada comes at the cost of long wait times, Dr. Raisa Deber argues that Canada has one of the fairest health care systems in the world. "Canadians are very proud of the fact that if they need care, they will get care," she said. While there are some problems in the system, according to Deber, most Canadians get the healthcare they need.

Toronto Star Sings Praises of Mary Jo Haddad, New Head of Sick Kids

Toronto Star reports on the challenges faced by new president and CEO of the Hospital for Sick Children, Mary Jo Haddad, in “Passionate Advocate Heads Sick Kids” ( March 19, 2005 ). Haddad, alumnus of HPME (MHSc Class of '98) and Adjunct Faculty, graduated from Windsor 's St. Clair College in nursing in 1976. She completed a Bachelor's in Nursing before working her way up through the nursing ranks at Sick Kids. Haddad wants to ensure that children's health services are not lost in the shuffle of government restructuring of hospital and primary care. “I want to make sure that children's needs and cares are on the top of everyone's agenda,” Haddad said. “It's not. It certainly is on the top of ours.” Haddad is the hospital's third president in the past five years, replacing Alan Gayer as interim president last August and moving into the permanent position in November 2004.

Study Led by Linda Rabeneck Reported in Macleans, Star, CTV

In a study of Ontario adults conducted between 1993 and 2001, researchers found that the number of newly-diagnosed colorectal cancer patients who demonstrate advanced signs of the disease is decreasing. Yet, nearly 20 per cent of patients have emergency surgery before being diagnosed. According to lead author, Dr. Linda Rabeneck (Professor in HPME), this number is still too high since 90 per cent of the deaths caused by colorectal cancer are preventable if caught early enough. "We need to get a commitment from the MOH (Ministry of Health) to implement an organized screening program." An estimated 19,200 Canadians will be diagnosed this year, and approximately 8,400 will die from the disease. The study is published in the March 2005 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology . It was reported in the Toronto Star (March 2, 2005), on CTV (March 1, 2005) and in Macleans Magazine (March 17, 2005).

Anderson Leads Plan to Improve Drug-Safety Monitoring

A new plan to improve drug-safety monitoring across Canada, led by Dr. Geoff Anderson, was reported in the Globe and Mail: "Health Canada Too Slow on Drug Safety: Experts" (February 23, 2005). The new plan is estimated to cost $2 million per year. Anderson, and other researchers involved in the plan including Dr. Muhammad Mamdani (HPME Associate Professor), is disappointed in Health Canada 's slow response. "They are doing something, but they could do more and they could do it faster," Anderson said. "It's particularly frustrating if you are an academic and you want to do [work] that really affects policy and the safety of Canadians." Regulators have been harshly criticized for failing to act sooner on safety concerns surrounding the cox-2 pain reliever, Vioxx.

It's not about MD shortages, it's about working conditions

In a commentary in the Globe and Mail (February 22, 2005), HPME's Dr. Raisa Deber laments the media's interpretation of the Health Council of Canada's first report. Unfortunately, she notes, the familiar themes of nurse and physician shortages and faster implementation of electronic health records were reiterated by media analysts, while little attention was given to the need to "reduce the numbers of Canadians who lead disadvantaged lives devoid of opportunity or hope". Rather than throwing more money into sweeping restructuring, Deber suggests that many small changes can be made to improve job security and working conditions to retain skilled providers. She also advocates for a greater emphasis on the prevention of chronic health problems through healthy public policy.

Macleans Magazine Reports on "eStudy" Led by Claire Bombardier

A recent issue of Macleans Magazine (February 16, 2005) featured the article, "Online Arthritis Test Tracks Treatment Progress". The article reviews the development of an electronic system for patient's with rheumatoid arthritis to assess and record their symptoms in the doctor's office or at home. Advances in computer and communication technologies now allow for the collection of patient information using a computerized questionnaire and also provide the ability to immediately generate a report that summarizes the questionnaire information over time. The resulting information allows doctors to gauge the effectiveness of arthritis treatment. Dr. Claire Bombardier, Professor in HPME and Director of Rheumatology in the Faculty of Medicine, is the principal investigator of the CIHR-funded "ERheum Project". The study is being carried out with co-investigators Gunther Eysenbach, Alex Jadad and Paul Milgram, based out of the Centre for Global eHealth and Innovation. Preliminary feedback from patients is positive. Most say the system's touch-screen interface is easy to use. But one of the challenges is ensuring the project complies with legislation on the protection of personal information.

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