Wait times are a huge concern in health care these days, and justifiably so. When patients are forced to wait for necessary medical treatments, they experience needless pain and diminished quality of life. But reducing hospital waiting lists is not as simple as hiring more doctors -- we need to keep people out of the medical treatment queue altogether.
We must work together on several fronts- in our schools, our recreation facilities, our workplaces and our communities - to try to redress the inequities that create population health problems and extend wait times. We could, for example, create more low-cost physical activity programs, bike paths and accessible parks in our neighbourhoods, particularly in underprivileged communities. This would promote more active lifestyles and prevent obesity.
As a health researcher and a medical doctor for 30 years, I have seen how income, education level, and home and work environment can affect a person's health. One of the main challenges in public health is to help people overcome the social and economic obstacles in their lives and achieve good health. This needs research conducted by experts in many fields, and clear efforts to translate the findings into action.
Through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Canada invested approximately $49.9 million across Canada in 2006-2007 in research on public health issues. This investment is a fantastic step forward in the fight to keep Canadians healthy.
In some cases, public policy changes can help give all Canadians a fighting chance at a healthy life and we've had great successes. For example, the decision to fortify a variety of cereal products with folic acid in 1998 lowered the incidence of neural-tube defects and spina bifida by almost 50%. Also, there is also growing evidence that graphic warnings on cigarette packages and restrictions on smoking in public places are making people think twice before they light up and reducing the incidence of tobacco-related illnesses.
Our universal health care system is something that Canadians can take great pride in. But it can only tackle complex problems one patient at a time. If we really want to improve the health of Canadians and alleviate the burden on our health care system, we need to step back and take a longer-term look at what really builds a healthy population, and stop focussing so much on wait times for end-stage treatments of conditions that are largely preventable.
Dr. John Frank
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health
