CCS to Government; don't miss the 'big picture' on wait time strategies

Canadian Cardiovascular Society
Media Release

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Toronto - As the federal government co-hosts a national forum on February 8-9 to showcase progress and best practices in improving access to health care, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) sends a strong reminder: A successful wait time strategy must be patient-centred and focus on the entire continuum of care -- from prevention, consultation and diagnosis, to intervention and rehabilitation.

Dr. Chris Simpson, a Queen's University-based cardiologist and CCS representative attending the Toronto conference said, "The CCS applauds the federal government for bringing together the various stakeholders on the wait times issue. We must not, however, forget that it is the patients -- children and adults alike -- who are the most important stakeholders of all.

The CCS believes that action on wait times must mitigate the 'ballooning effect', as recently described by the CMA in response to its recent physician survey on specialty care. This means that wait time strategies and health human resources should focus on the entire continuum of health care, starting at a patient's onset of symptoms. This continuum involves a broad range of health care providers, each of whom has a vital role to play in optimizing patient outcomes. These include nurses, family doctors, specialists, and other health care professionals."

The CCS looks forward to contributing to further dialogue on wait time strategies for the cardiovascular health care of all Canadians."

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society's report: Universal Access but When: Treating the Right Patient at the Right Time, and further information and commentary on cardiac wait times, can be found on the CCS web site (www.ccs.ca).

The CCS is the national voice for approximately 1600 cardiovascular physicians and scientists. The CCS mission is to promote cardiovascular health and care through knowledge translation (including dissemination of research and encouragement of best practices); professional development; and leadership in health policy.

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