Reference List

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Please find my resources related to the Future of Healthcare in Canada.  I reviewed resources that looked as several impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: some that looked at the adoption of technology and virtual care; and one that looked at the impact of the Pandemic on surgical waitlists and a model to assist with recovery.  I also looked at an older article that talked about the slow update of technology by physicians in Canada.

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This news article takes look at the increase in the number of virtual physicians visits in Toronto during the Pandemic. It is a quick read and highlights how the increase in virtual care is preferred by many patients but that there is potential for a decrease equity and continuity.  The author quotes Dr. Tara Kiran as stating she is worried, we are trading “convenience for continuity.”  This contains several interesting points to consider when going forward with a virtual care model of care delivery.

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Boyle, Theresa. (2021, Feb. 8).  Doctors’ virtual visits jumped by 5,600% during COVID. What does that mean for the future of

Canadian health care?.  The Toronto Star.  https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2021/02/08/doctors-virtual-visits-jumped-by-5600-during-covid-what-does-that-mean-for-the-future-of-canadian-health-care.html

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In this article, the authors examine the use of a single entry model as a way to shorten waitlist for non-emergent surgeries such a elective joint replacement.  During the COVID-19 response we saw cancellations for all non-emergent surgeries and focused only on those surgeries that were absolutely required. I too saw this at the hospital I work at.  Now there is a backlog of cases to clear.  This article examines a model where there is a single line and the next available surgeon completes the surgery.  Despite fears that patients wish to retain the choose to decide which surgeon they see, the authors state that this approach is welcomed by patients and health care providers.

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Urbach, D. R., & Martin, D. (2020). Confronting the COVID-19 surgery crisis: Time for transformational change. In CMAJ (Vol.

192, Issue 21, pp. E585–E586). Canadian Medical Association. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.200791

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This UBC Medical Journal letter by Jasper Johal looks at the pace of technology transformation and the physician’s ability to keep up.  It examines that many physicians are not technologically savvy and therefore unable to use or see the value in technology.  Johal looks at the electronic health records and how Canada has been slow to adopt this and continues to operate in silos.  I have seen the same thing in my health authority where community-based health delivery uses a different system then acute care.  In the last number of years we have been blessed with an interface that does allow us to see both which I consider a huge revolution.  At this time we rely on faxed patient care data when moving patients between health authorities in BC.  Johal reviews technology developed in the US with amazing connection abilities however cautions Canada to do it’s homework and ensure that data is collected and shared ethically and protects the safety of patients.  Johar recommends including technical training in medical school curriculums and this makes we wonder if this would also be beneficial in nursing and allied health schools as well.

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Johar, J. (2017).  Is Canadian healthcare lagging behind when it comes to technological literacy?  UBC Medical Journal, 8 (2),

36-37. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=df678cd4-e15d-4f49-8ed4-403db220c51a%40sessionmgr103