March 9, 2012
“This report uses the 2008 Canadian Survey of Experiences With Primary Health Care to fill an important gap in our knowledge of primary health care for individuals who have ambulatory care sensitive conditions. An examination of differences in access, use and appropriateness of care
according to income, geography, health conditions and sex reveals the following:
- Individuals with ambulatory care sensitive conditions in the lowest income group, in rural areas or with multiple chronic conditions were twice as likely to report that their last visit to an emergency department was for a condition that they perceived as being treatable by their primary health care provider.
- Women with ambulatory care sensitive conditions were less likely than men to report receiving all four recommended tests for chronic disease monitoring, to have medication side effects explained or to be provided with tools to self-manage their condition.
- Compared with those in the highest income group, individuals with ambulatory care sensitive conditions in the lowest income group were less likely to report that their primary health care physician involved them in clinical decisions or helped them make a treatment plan to manage
their conditions.”
Posted in READ Portal, Reports & Papers | Tagged with Canada, Health equity, Primary health care | No Comments
August 23, 2011
“Following the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Montreux in November 2010, PLoS Medicine commissioned three articles on the state-of-the-art in Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR). Three Policy Forum articles, authored by a diverse group of global health academics, critically examine the current challenges to the field and lay out what is needed to build capacity in HPSR and support local policy development and health systems strengthening, especially in low- and middle-income countries.”
Posted in Journal Articles, READ Portal | Tagged with Health care reform, Health equity, Policy | No Comments
August 4, 2011
“Immigrants to Canada are a heterogeneous group. Upon arrival, new immigrants are healthier than the Canadian-born population, both because of immigrant-selection processes and policies and because of sociocultural aspects of diet and health behaviours. However, there is a decline in this “healthy immigrant effect” after arrival. In addition, compared with the Canadian-born population, subgroups of immigrants are at increased risk of disease-specific mortality…
The health needs of newly arriving immigrants and refugees often differ from those of Canadian-born men, women and children. The prevalence of diseases differs with exposure to disease, migration trajectories, living conditions and genetic predispositions. Language and cultural differences, along with lack of familiarity with preventive care and fear and distrust of a new health care system, can impair access to appropriate health care services. Additionally, patients may present with conditions or concerns that are unfamiliar to practitioners.”
Posted in Journal Articles, READ Portal | Tagged with Canada, Health equity | No Comments
July 25, 2011
“…the health system has an important role to play in promoting health equity and in ensuring that its policies, programs, and services are available, accessible and acceptable to all British Columbians. This reports builds on previous recommendations to enhance the health system’s ability to respond to the health needs of the population and with ongoing efforts within the province to better meet the needs of underserved populations.
Taking action to resolve health system barriers and issues which may be inadvertently creating or perpetuating health inequities would not only improve the effectiveness of the health system in the provision of chronic disease prevention and treatment programs and services for people who are currently underserved, but would also help to reduce the burden and economic costs of chronic disease and health inequities. A health system that incorporates equity into all aspects of the system will better meet the health needs of currently underserved populations in BC, and by reducing inequities will lead to improved quality of life for all British Columbians.”
Posted in READ Portal, Reports & Papers | Tagged with Canada, Health care reform, Health equity | No Comments
June 28, 2011
“To drive health equity into action we need to understand the needs of health disadvantaged populations, identify barriers to equitable access to quality care, and build equity into priority setting, resource allocation and performance management. Health Equity Impact Assessment is a practical and effective planning tool that analyzes the potential impact of service, program or policy changes on health disparities and/or health disadvantaged populations. It can help to plan new services or initiatives or assess and re-align existing programs; and using it has proven valuable to building awareness of and embedding equity within organizations. This is an overview primer that introduces the potential and practice of HEIA. We also have many other resources on our page on equity-focused planning.”
Posted in READ Portal, Reports & Papers | Tagged with Health care reform, Health equity, Health planning, Program evaluation | No Comments
