Worrisome health trends exposed

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Tuesday » October 1 » 2002

Worrisome health trends exposed

Lung cancer, STDs on rise as provinces, Ottawa compare health care records:

HEALTH REPORT CARDS

 

Norma Greenaway

Southam Newspapers; Ottawa Citizen

Tuesday, October 01, 2002

Almost one in five youths aged 12 to 19 years reported they smoked, with the

rate slightly higher among teenage girls.

 

Canadian governments have produced their first " report cards " on health

care, unveiling a record that offers some bragging rights amidst a landscape

laced with worrisome trends.

On the up side, Canadians are living longer than ever, the vast majority are

" very " satisfied with the health care system, and almost nine out of 10

report having a regular family doctor.

On the down side, the lung cancer rate for women has risen significantly in

the last 15 years, teenagers continue to smoke at an alarmingly high rate,

and the incidence of the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia has climbed

dramatically since 1995, with the highest reported rate among girls aged 15

to 19 years.

The federal report card makes clear there remains a significant disparity

between the health status of the general population and the First Nations

population. For example, tuberculosis rates on reserves are eight to 10

times higher than rates for the Canadian population, it said.

The health report cards, a compilation of comparative statistics provided by

the provinces and territories, are the result of a two-year-old agreement

with the Chretien government to begin providing Canadians with an accounting

of the effectiveness of their tax dollars.

They tracked such things as infant mortality rates, incidents of different

types of cancer, waiting times for diagnosis and surgery and hospital

re-admissions. Many of the statistics have been in the public domain before,

but the reports mark the first time they have been produced in a

comprehensive format to comply with the 2000 federal-provincial accord.

Ottawa released an overview and each province provided separate reports.

Many took the opportunity to pat themselves on the back for the satisfaction

reported by their residents, a finding that appears to run contrary to a

strong public impression Canadians believe their health care system is

crumbling.

Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement boasted a patient satisfaction rate of

about 85 per cent among Ontarions shows the government's efforts to meet the

needs of changing demographics is paying off.

" High numbers in patient satisfaction tell us we are on the right track to

ensuring we have a health care system that works at its best when you need

it the most, " Clement said as he released his province's report card.

Alberta Health Minister Mar was quick to highlight areas where the

province's performance outstripped others. He cited a lower in-hospital

mortality rate for heart attacks and strokes, and lower hospital

re-admission rates for health attacks.

However, the governments also cited areas where more work needs to be done.

In Ontario's case, Clement said youth smoking rates and the issue of obesity

illustrate why Ontario is investing in a program to improve the

effectiveness of physical education programs.

The federal report said 85 per cent of Canadians rated the quality of the

overall health services they received as being excellent or very good,

almost 20 per cent higher than found on First Nations reserves.

SOME FINDINGS

- The self-reported median wait to consult a specialist or receive

non-emergency surgery in Canada was 4.3 weeks.

- Almost one in five youths aged 12 to 19 years reported they smoked, with

the rate slightly higher among teenage girls.

- The incidence of chlamydia among girls 15 to 19 years was almost six times

the national rate for females. The incidence among First Nations populations

in 1999 was seven times higher than the Canadian population overall.

- Almost 45 per cent of men reported they were either active or moderately

active, compared with slightly more than 40 per cent of women.

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