How Engaged are Canadians in their Primary Care?

Do you have enough time during visits with your regular doctor?
Can you always ask questions about your recommended treatment?
Do you feel involved in decision-making about your care?

If you answered yes to these questions, you are among half of Canadians who can be considered engaged in their health care. These Canadians often take an active role in maintaining their health and are often more satisfied with their care.

But what about the remaining half of Canadians who don’t feel as involved in their care? We wanted to find out what enables Canadians to be more engaged in their care and what the barriers are.

In the upcoming Canadian Health Care Matters Series Bulletin 5: How Engaged are Canadians in their Primary Care? we will assess the enablers and outcomes of patient engagement

Using international survey data from both the patient and physician perspectives, the bulletin will review current findings from Canada and other countries on the patient-provider relationship.

Read the full report on September 22, 2011 at www.healthcouncilcanada.ca, and check back to this blog for guest entries from the patient and physician perspectives.

Sukirtha Tharmalingam, Senior Policy Analyst, Health Council of Canada

Key Words: Primary Health Care, Patient Engagement