The Importance of Quality Health Data — Janet Davidson and David O’Toole

12/09/21 • 19 min

The federal government’s recent speech from the throne included a key passage outlining the need for a better national health data strategy. We chat with Janet Davidson, administrator of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, and David O’Toole, CIHI’s president and CEO, about the importance of high-quality health data and how system enhancements could improve outcomes for people in Canada.

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The Cost of Caring for Canada’s Health Systems — Helen Angus and Kim McGrail

Canada typically spends billions of dollars a year on its health care systems, and for the first time, that number soared to over $300 billion in 2020 — spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Helen Angus, Ontario’s deputy minister of health when the pandemic arrived in Canada, and Kim McGrail, a renowned health policy professor at UBC, join us on the CHIP to discuss the effects the pandemic has had on health care costs across the country. They also share their perspectives on what system planners should consider moving forward, and what Canadians should expect from these systems that are such a source of national pride.

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Rural and Remote Health Care in Canada — Dr. Katharine Smart

Canada’s universal health care system is a pillar of Canadian pride, but factors including geography and social determinants of health unfortunately mean that access to health care for Canadians living in rural and remote areas is often not the same as for those living in urban areas. We speak with Dr. Katharine Smart, a pediatrician who practises in Yukon and president of the Canadian Medical Association, to learn more about the challenges and opportunities associated with providing and receiving health care in rural and remote Canada.