Population Aging and the Future of Canadian Healthcare

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayne Bezuko

The population of the world is aging, and the aging population should not be considered to be an insignificant contributor to increasing healthcare costs in Canada. This paper will explore the effects of aging on the healthcare system in Canada, and will address issues such as chronic illnesses associated with aging, fragmentation of healthcare services, use of an acute care model, and lack of specialized gerontological nursing education programs as contributing factors to why aging is a significant cost driver in healthcare. In addition, this paper will provide recommendations to transform Canada’s healthcare system in order to deliver sustainable and cost-effective healthcare for all.  

Author(s):  
Tenzin Wangmo

In light of increasing life expectancy and population aging, healthcare systems today face the challenge of addressing the care-related needs of an increasingly aging population. Aging compounded with physical and neurological deteriorations means greater caregiving demands for both the formal healthcare sector and informal care from family members and friends. Unpaid informal caregiving is cost effective for the healthcare system as a whole; however, providing care for a family member with dementia can negatively impact the health of the caregiver. The increasing development and deployment of assistive technology is predicted to alleviate caregiving burden and allow the older person with dementia to remain independent and continue to live at home for as long as possible. This chapter presents the landscape of information on informal caregiving for patients with dementia and its associated caregiving burden. It also discusses the evidence available on the potential of assistive technology for alleviating informal caregiving burden. The chapter concludes with some considerations about the governance of assistive technology. It argues that assistive technologies that are proven to be clinically effective should be made fairly and ubiquitously available to improve the quality of life of the person with dementia and his or her family caregiver. This is important to ensure the sustainability of the overall healthcare system.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiyan Li ◽  
Siyu Ru

PurposeTo compare chronic health status, utilization of healthcare services and life satisfaction among immigrant women and their Canadian counterparts.Design/methodology/approachA secondary analysis of national data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), 2015–2016 was conducted. The survey data included 109,659 cases. Given the research question, only female cases were selected, which resulted in a final sample of 52,560 cases. Data analysis was conducted using multiple methods, including logistic regression and linear regression.FindingsRecent and established immigrant women were healthier than native-born Canadian women. While the Healthy Immigrant Effect (HIE) was evident among immigrant women, some characteristics related to ethnic origin and/or unhealthy dietary habits may deteriorate immigrant women's health in the long term. Immigrant women and non-immigrant women with chronic illnesses were both more likely to increase their use of the healthcare system. Notably, the present study did not find evidence that immigrant women under-utilized Canada's healthcare system. However, the findings showed that chronic health issues were more likely to decrease women's life satisfaction.Originality/valueThis analysis contributes to the understanding of immigrant women's acculturation by comparing types of chronic illnesses, healthcare visits, and life satisfaction between immigrant women and their Canadian counterparts.


Author(s):  
Vikas Kumar ◽  
Aashish Bhardwaj

Healthcare of individuals is very important; hence, the healthcare data needs to be managed very professionally. These requirements have become more stringent with the population aging and the growing attention to healthcare by the people. Cloud computing has emerged as a prominent solution to the computing demands of healthcare organizations, and a number of cloud-based solutions are available in the market. However, different users of the healthcare systems have different expectations from the cloud, and these must be taken into account while migrating to cloud. This article presents the implications of cloud computing solutions for the present day healthcare scenario. Prominent cloud-based healthcare services have been presented along with their specific applications. Considering the different users of healthcare systems, a holistic approach has been presented for the deployment of a cloud-based healthcare system. The deployment approach is suitable for all different levels of the healthcare organizations.


Author(s):  
Rajeshwari Vittal ◽  
Juliet Roshini Mohan Raj ◽  
Ballamoole Krishna Kumar ◽  
Indrani Karunasagar

Abstract Legionella is a fastidious organism that is difficult to culture in the lab but is widely distributed in environmental, domestic, and hospital settings. The clinical manifestations due to Legionella infections range from mild fever to fatal pneumonia and multiorgan pathologies. Legionella outbreaks though prevalent globally are not reported in developing countries due to difficulties in isolating this organism and the lack of simple diagnostic protocols. Here, we review the literature from across countries to present various methods used to detect Legionella from environmental and clinical samples. We compare the sensitivity and the specificity of the conventional culture-based assays with the recent methods and discuss approaches to develop better detection and diagnostic tests. With better cost-effective detection techniques and regular monitoring of the susceptible sites, which may harbor Legionella colonies, most of the Legionella infections can be prevented. As a result, considerable burden, caused by Legionella infections, on the healthcare system, in especially economically weaker countries, can be mitigated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Herrero-Arias ◽  
Esperanza Diaz

Abstract Background Patients’ experiences with health providers and their diagnostic and treatment expectations are shaped by cultural health beliefs and previous experiences with healthcare services in home country. This study explores how Southern European immigrant parents navigate the Norwegian healthcare system, through its focus on how this group manage their expectations on diagnosis and treatment practices when these are unmet. Methods The study had a qualitative research design. Fourteen in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions with 20 Southern European immigrant parents were conducted in 2017 in three Norwegian municipalities. With the help of NVivo software, data were transcribed verbatim and coded. Following a thematic analysis approach to identify patterns in immigrants’ experiences with the Norwegian healthcare services, the codes were organized into two themes. Results The first theme includes immigrants’ expectations on diagnostic tests and medical treatment. Southern European immigrants expected more diagnostic tests and pharmacological treatment than what was deemed necessary by Norwegian health providers. Experiences with unmet expectations influenced how immigrants addressed their and their children’s healthcare needs. The second theme comprises immigrants’ experiences of seeking healthcare in Norway (attending medical consultations in the private sector, seeking immigrant healthcare providers, and navigating the healthcare through their Norwegian social networks). This category includes also the alternative solutions immigrants undertook when they were dissatisfied with the diagnosis and treatment practices they were offered in Norway (self-medication and seeking healthcare in home countries). Conclusions Cultural health beliefs and previous experiences with healthcare services from home country shaped immigrants’ expectations on diagnosis and treatment practices. This had great implications for their navigation through the healthcare system and interactions with health providers in the host country. The study suggests that successful inclusion of immigrants into the Norwegian healthcare system requires an acknowledgement of the cultural factors that influence access and use of healthcare services. Exploring immigrants’ perspectives and experiences offers important information to understand the challenges of cross-cultural healthcare and to improve communication and equitable access.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 61-81
Author(s):  
Hisham M. Alsaghier ◽  
Shaik Shakeel Ahamad

This article describes how the exponential growth of mobile applications has changed the way healthcare services function, and mobile healthcare using the Cloud is the most promising technology for healthcare industry. The mobile healthcare industry is in a continuous transition phase that requires continual innovation. There has been identified some of the challenges in the area of security protocols for mobile health systems which still need to be addressed in the future to enable cost-effective, secure and robust mobile health systems. This article addresses these challenges by proposing a secure robust and privacy-enhanced mobile healthcare framework (SRPF) by adopting a Community Cloud (CC), WPKI cryptosystems, Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs) and a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). All the security properties are provided within this framework. SRPF overcomes replay attacks, Man in the Middle (MITM) Attacks, Impersonation attacks and Multi-Protocol attacks as SRPF was successfully verified using a scyther tool and by BAN logic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 155798832110243
Author(s):  
Sarah Christine Pedersen ◽  
Helle Terkildsen Maindal ◽  
Knud Ryom

Postpartum depression (PPD) is one of the most common mental health problems among new parents. Past studies have examined PPD in women; however, the condition is less understood in men. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of men or fathers with PPD and to understand the barriers and facilitators of help-seeking among fathers with PPD. Eight fathers with PPD were interviewed and data were subsequently analyzed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. The fathers perceived fatherhood as an overwhelming experience and feelings of inadequacy and powerlessness were two of the main themes in the fathers’ experiences of PPD. The feeling of inadequacy and powerlessness was related to the fathers’ expectations for themselves and their role as a father. The fathers’ sense of inadequacy and powerlessness sometimes turned into anger and frustrations. In addition, the fathers experienced a variety of contributing stressors around the birth of their child. Further, the analysis revealed how the fathers’ help-seeking behavior was influenced by five contributing factors: recognition and perception of depressive symptoms; knowledge and beliefs about PPD; taboo, stigma and conforming to masculine norms; the fathers’ partner; screening and perinatal healthcare services. Paternal PPD has a significant impact on the fathers’ wellbeing and everyday lives. Findings indicate that parents-to-be may benefit from education on paternal PDD, and they highlight the importance of screening for paternal PPD and support tailored to the needs of fathers with signs of PPD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Isobel Clough

The NHS is facing an unprecedented backlog in both patient care and building maintenance, with severe implications for service delivery, finance and population wellbeing. This article is the first in a series discussing modular healthcare facilities as a potential solution to these issues, providing flexible and cost-effective spaces to allow services to increase capacity without sacrificing care quality. The first of three instalments, this paper will outline the problems facing the NHS estate, many of which have been exacerbated to critical levels by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what this means for service delivery. It will then make the case for modular infrastructure, outlining the potential benefits for healthcare services, staff and patients alike. Using modern methods of construction, this approach to creating physical space in healthcare can provide greater flexibility and a reduced impact on the environment. The next two articles in this series will go on to provide detailed case studies of successful modular implementation in NHS trusts, an analysis of the cost implications and guidance on the commissioning process and building a business case.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-192
Author(s):  
Abhijit Duggal, MD, MPH, MSc ◽  
Erica Orsini, MD ◽  
Eduardo Mireles-Cabodevila, MD ◽  
Sudhir Krishnan, MD ◽  
Prabalini Rajendram, MD ◽  
...  

Objective: Many hospitals were unprepared for the surge of patients associated with the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We describe the processes to develop and implement a surge plan framework for resource allocation, staffing, and standardized management in response to the COVID-19 pandemic across a large integrated regional healthcare system.Setting: A large academic medical center in the Cleveland metropolitan area, with a network of 10 regional hospitals throughout Northeastern Ohio with a daily capacity of more than 500 intensive care unit (ICU) beds.Results: At the beginning of the pandemic, an equitable delivery of healthcare services across the healthcare system was developed. This distribution of resources was implemented with the potential needs and resources of the individual ICUs in mind, and epidemiologic predictions of virus transmissibility. We describe the processes to develop and implement a surge plan framework for resource allocation, staffing, and standardized management in response to the COVID-19 pandemic across a large integrated regional healthcare system. We also describe an additional level of surge capacity, which is available to well-integrated institutions called “extension of capacity.” This refers to the ability to immediately have access to the beds and resources within a hospital system with minimal administrative burden.Conclusions: Large integrated hospital systems may have an advantage over individual hospitals because they can shift supplies among regional partners, which may lead to faster mobilization of resources, rather than depending on local and national governments. The pandemic response of our healthcare system highlights these benefits.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjana Arora ◽  
Astrid Bergland ◽  
Melanie Straiton ◽  
Bernd Rechel ◽  
Jonas Debesay

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesise data from the existent literature on the experiences of non-western older migrants in Europe in accessing and using healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach In total, 1,606 records were reviewed and 12 studies were selected. A thematic synthesis using Thomas and Harden’s approach was conducted. Findings The findings resulted in the three overarching themes: traditional discourses under new circumstances; predisposed vulnerabilities of older migrants and the healthcare system; and the conceptualization of health and the roles of healthcare professionals. The authors found that older migrants’ experience of accessing healthcare is influenced by many factors, such as health literacy, differences in healthcare beliefs and language barriers, and is not limited to cultural and traditional discourses of care. Findings reveal that there is a limited body of knowledge on barriers experienced by older migrant women. Research limitations/implications The geographical scope of the study and subsequent type of healthcare systems should be taken into account while understanding barriers to care. Another limitation is that although we studied different migrant groups, the authors synthesised barriers experienced by all. Future research could study migrants as separate groups to better understand how previous experiences with healthcare in their home country and specific social, cultural and economic circumstances shape them. Originality/value This paper provides a synthesis of the experiences of migrants from non-western countries who moved to a host country with a very different language, culture and healthcare system.


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