The shortage of family doctors affects not only patients, but the entire health-care system. A strong primary care foundation increases average lifespan, improves overall health and reduces costs.
Yes, savings from increased participation in private insurance outweigh the costs the government incurs by subsidising private health insurance rebates. But rebates can be better targeted.
Education has a role to play in addressing the shortage of family doctors. A new program is designed specifically for comprehensive, community-based family practice.
Each encounter that health-care students have with patients and families helps them understand real-world patient needs. That means all Canadians have a role in educating future health-care providers.
More people are seeking out traditional forms of medicine, from acupuncture to herbal medicines. The WHO is working to develop standards to make these healing practices implementable on a wide scale.
Health care has traditionally focused on prescribing medications, with little focus on when to stop them. But pills and potions can add up over time and do more harm than good.
Increasing awareness of migraine symptoms is critical for those living with undiagnosed migraine, since getting a diagnosis is the first step to receiving appropriate and effective care.
Now is the time to learn from the COVID-19 response through an action-oriented independent inquiry focused on accountability. Reforms to data generation, access and use are essential.
As hip-hop turns 50, an unfortunate reality is that so many of its pioneering artists never live to see much more than 50 years themselves, a professor of hip-hop writes.
New health technologies raise complex economic, social, environmental and safety concerns. Just as greenwashing tarnished sustainability efforts, ‘responsibility washing’ threatens health innovation.
By offering abortion care benefits and policies, employers can serve as a “firewall” to protect against harmful legislation — but only if these benefits are easily accessible and de-stigmatized.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
(2022-2024) Visiting Professor, Northeastern University, Boston / (2014-...) (on leave) Full Professor in Economics, ERUDITE, UPEC, Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne (UPEC)