In shaping the future of Ontario's healthcare system, we must consider the changes required to achieve high-performance, engage staff across the system, and integrate the vision of patients, families and caregivers in developing plans to improve patient experiences and outcomes. [...] In general, citizens in Canada are attached to and proud of their health care system, support the principles of the Canada Health Act, and are concerned about the future and sustainability of Canada's healthcare system (Mendelsohn, 2002). [...] The evidence on developing and sustaining high-performance and optimizing patients' experiences in the healthcare system provides the means to meet the goals and needs of patients. [...] One example of the role of learning and developing capacity through relationships with external organizations comes from the case of the Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust (BEN PCT) and Heart of England Foundation Trust (HEFT) in the U. K. The Birmingham trusts linked with a number of "mentor" organizations, including Kaiser Permanente in the U. S. to learn from their improvement practic [...] Patient and caregiver panelists also spoke to the value of information infrastructures and electronic health records in improving communication and tracking patients through the healthcare system in a way that is accessible to patients.

Provides information and analysis on such topics as, new and emerging health-related technologies, long-term care, private health insurance, health-care cost control, equity of access across income groups, health workforce planning and productivity, and waiting times for elective surgery.

Although health systems differ widely in their design, the inputs they use, and the outcomes they attain, policymakers in all OECD countries share the common goal of achieving high-performing health systems. Health and health care have improved dramatically over the past few decades, but at a cost, and public budgets are feeling the pinch. At the same time, further opportunities exist to improve the performance of health systems. Developed nations are grappling with the issues of sustainable financing, equitable access to services, better health outcomes, consumer responsiveness, and receiving maximum value for their money. This volume offers a synthesis of findings from recent OECD studies undertaken as part of the three-year Health Project, an initiative to answer many of the key questions facing today's health policy makers. It provides information and analysis on a wide variety of topics, such as new and emerging health-related technologies, long-term care, private health insurance, health care cost control, equity of access across income groups, health workforce planning and productivity, and waiting times for elective surgery. Building on international experience and grounded in new data on cross-country differences, this report offers an up-to-date map of the road to performance improvement.

The importance of health systems has been reinforced by the commitment of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (L&MICs) to pursue the targets of Universal Health Coverage, Health Security, and to achieve Health-related Sustainable Development Goals. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the fragility of health systems in countries of all income groups. Authored by international experts across five continents, this book demonstrates how health systems can be strengthened in L&MICs by unravelling their complexities and by offering a comprehensive overview of fundamental concepts, performance assessment approaches and improvement strategies to address health system challenges in L&MICs. Centred on evidence and advocacy this unique resource on health systems in L&MICs will benefit a wide range of audiences including, readers engaged in public health practice, educational programs and research initiatives; faculties of public health and population sciences; policymakers, managers and health professionals working for governments, civil society organizations and development agencies in health.

Canada’s fragmented healthcare system is one of the most expensive among the OECD countries, yet the quality of its performance is mediocre at best. Canada lacks a system-wide healthcare strategy that brings together many individual federal, provincial, and territorial strategies into a comprehensive and coherent whole. Managing a Canadian Healthcare Strategy is a collection of ten policy research essays by leading Canadian and international scholars who address three important questions. First, if Canada had a unifying strategy, how would the country measure its success and monitor its performance? Second, who are the agents of change to bring about a Canadian system-wide strategy? Third, how can the jurisdictional realities of Canada’s political system be managed to bring about strategic reform? The final section in the volume explores ways to overcome the barriers and impediments that preoccupy Canadians’ concerns about healthcare. A companion volume to Toward a Healthcare Strategy for Canadians, the contributors to Managing a Canadian Healthcare Strategy turn to the critical importance of how necessary healthcare changes can be best implemented.