Health Systems in Transition: Canada, Second Edition

The health care system in Canada is much-discussed in the international sphere, but often overlooked when it comes to its highly decentralized administration and regulation. Health Systems in Transition: Canada provides an objective description and analysis of the public, private, and mixed components that make up health care in Canada today including the federal, provincial, intergovernmental and regional dynamics within the public system. Gregory P. Marchildon’s study offers a statistical and visual description of the many facets of Canadian health care financing, administration, and service delivery, along with relevant comparisons to five other countries’ systems. This second edition includes a major update on health data and institutions, a new appendix of federal laws concerning select provincial and territorial Medicare legislation, and, for the first time, a comprehensive and searchable index. It also provides  a more complete assessment of the Canadian health system based on financial protection, efficiency, equity, user experience, quality of care, and health outcomes. Balancing careful assessment, summary, and illustration, Health Systems in Transition: Canada is a thorough and illuminating look at one of the nation's most complex public policies and associated institutions.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations List of Tables and Figures Abstract Executive Summary Introduction Geography and Sociodemography Economic Context Political Context Health Status Organization and Governance Overview of the Health System Historical Background Organization Decentralization and Centralization Planning Intersectorality Health Information Management Regulation Patient Empowerment Financing Health Expenditure Source of Revenue and Financial Flows Overview of the Statutory Financing System Out-of-pocket Payments Private Health Insurance Social Insurance Other Financing Payment Mechanisms Physical and Human Resources Physical Resources Human Resources Provision of Services Public Health Patient Pathways Primary / Ambulatory Care Impatient Care / Specialized Ambulatory Care Emergency Care Pharmaceutical Care Rehabilitation / Intermediate Care Long-term Care Services for Informal Carers Palliative Care Mental Health Care Dental Care Complementary and Alternative Medicine Health Service for Aboriginal Canadians Principle Health Reforms Analysis of Recent Reforms Future Developments Assessment of the Health System Stated Objectives of the Health System Financial Protection and Equity in Financing User Experience and Equity of Access to Health Care Health Outcomes, Health Service Outcomes and Quality of Care Health System Efficiency Transparency and Accountability Conclusions Appendices References Useful Web Sites Selected Laws on Health and Health Care In Canada HiT Methodology and Production Process The Review Process About the Authors Index

About the Author :
Gregory P. Marchildon is a professor emeritus at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto and the founding director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.