In the 1980s and 1990s, large-scale constitutional developments such as the Meech Lake Accord, the Charlottetown Agreement and the 1995 Referendum attracted countless inches of news reports and commentary despite the sheer complexity of this subject mater.
In recent years, concerns over Canada's health-care system, such as wait times, federal-provincial transfers, drug safety and expenditures, and the public-private financing debate, have become the new Meech Lake - a highly-complex story, but one with interesting political angles and a subject central to the Canadian identity. Any slowdown in coverage seems unlikely. According to Dr. Colleen M. Flood, Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, at present, there are no less than four major legal challenges in the court that will have a major impact on Canada's health-care system.
To help health journalists navigate these issues, CIHR and the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research recently held a special media workshop in Toronto on the subject of health services and policy research. Fourteen freelancers and reporters from outlets such the Toronto Star, CBC Radio, Canadian Press and The Globe and Mail heard presentations by 9 of Canada's leading experts in health services and policy research. The event marked the second in an ongoing series of CIHR media workshops on health research topics.
Presentations focused on a series of key health policy concerns, such as direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs (Dr. Steve Morgan, University of British Columbia), the use of information technology to improve the safe and effective use of prescription drugs (Dr. Robyn Tamblyn); public-private financing of health care systems (Dr. Mark Stabile, University of Toronto); wait times policy (Dr. Tom Noseworthy, University of Calgary) and the role of the courts in Canadian Medicare (Dr. Colleen M. Flood, University of Toronto).
In a survey of workshop attendees, journalists gave the event high marks. Indeed, 100% of workshop attendees indicated that they would recommend the workshop to other colleagues. Importantly, 90% of the journalists indicated that they would follow-up with the researchers after the workshop. "As usual the CIHR workshop was a great resource, and got all of us thinking about health policy stories. It's always a treat to be in the same room with the top Canadian brains in the field," commented one reporter. Said another: "It was a great workshop... really interesting topics, speakers, contacts. And a couple of good stories to pursue."
The next media workshop will be held in Montreal in September and hosted by CIHR's Institute for Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction.
