Brian Day
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
- 4/1/2013
What the Canada Health Act, George Orwell and wooden tennis racquets have in common
Here's a thought for starters—reduce all our health ministries to one and save billions for patient care - 1/25/2013
Why health promotion and illness prevention won’t heal the bottom line
B.C.'s auditor general John Doyle has said, "Despite the fact that promoting healthy well-being and preventing disease has been a major theme in every throne speech since 2008, the B.C. government and its health authorities spend little on prevention.” I expect, like many, that Doyle assumes the answer to runaway inflation in health spending across the country is to simply prevent illness and thereby reduce health costs. The problem is the evidence does not always support that conclusion. - 11/30/2012
A proposal for a patient-focused charter
An ethical physician’s role is to attempt to ensure quality healthcare that is appropriate, effective, and provided in a timely fashion. When forced to choose between loyalty to regulations that conflict with that role and the well-being of patients, we have a duty to favour the latter. - 10/22/2012
Why the medicare madness will soon come to an end
Advocates for the status quo, including public-sector union and fringe medical groups, had better prepare themselves for the inevitable outcome. Provincial laws that force Canadians to suffer and deteriorate on wait lists will be struck down. - 8/20/2012
Behind my legal challenge, and why it matters so much
The optics of our clinic (the Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver) challenging B.C. provincial laws, which force patients to wait and suffer (and sometimes die), has taken on a new perspective as patients have joined our lawsuit. We will ask the Court to reject enforced rationing as a government strategy to achieve health-care sustainability. - 6/28/2012
If democracy ruled in healthcare
The Saskatchewan Insurance Act (1961), which became the template for the 1984 Canada Health Act (CHA), was formulated on eight principles. The architects of the CHA whittled Tommy Douglas’s principles down to five. The three discarded principles were efficient, effective and responsible. Could this be a factor in explaining why medicare in Canada has become inefficient, ineffective and irresponsible? - 5/22/2012
Equal care for all? Absurd
All Canadians should have equal access to health care. This is a statement often heard and, at first glance, seems to be a reasonable principle. Or does it? Shouldn’t we consider the reality that such a goal is impossible? - 4/10/2012
Three steps to improve the efficiency of our public healthcare system
While I personally believe our state monopoly on the funding and control of physician and hospital services would benefit from private-sector competition, I nevertheless believe there are ways to improve the efficiency of our public system. - 2/24/2012
Drummond’s deficiencies
Positive aspects of the report include a reiteration of reality; namely that health costs that increase at three times the rate of inflation are unsustainable. Where it disappoints is in its failure to address the other reality; namely that the recommendation on funding, if implemented alone, will lead to increased rationing and further delays in treatment. - 2/3/2012
Lack of care options is unethical. Period.
I have generally been tolerant of my colleagues who continue to argue for the status quo in our health system. Recent encounters with several patients who suffered at the hands of our health system have made me change that attitude.
