Most European healthcare systems outperform Canada

According to a recent report comparing Canadian and European healthcare systems, Canada ranked 23rd out of 30 countries. When the quality of care delivered was compared with the cost of providing that care, Canada fell to the very bottom of the list in terms of value for money.

Health System Performance Rankings: Comparing Canada and European Countries [1]

Canada’s healthcare system was described as providing “solid outcomes, moderate to poor provision levels, and very poor scores with regard to patients’ rights and accessibility.” [2] Canada fared better with respect to clinical outcomes, and is on par with the best performing healthcare systems. Unfortunately for patients, there are also many aspects of Canada’s healthcare system that don’t offer such positive results.

In the areas of patients’ rights and information, waiting times and accessibility, Canada’s performance is in the bottom tier. For patients with a complicated condition, it is not uncommon for cumulative wait times to exceed a year between trying to book an appointment with a family doctor and receiving treatment.

Canadian patients are also being denied the benefits of innovative treatments. When evaluating the availability of drugs and the speed at which new medications are made available to consumers, Canada placed only above Latvia, Bulgaria and Lithuania. Effective use of pharmaceuticals has the potential to significantly reduce the need for more drastic interventions and to improve the quality of life for patients.