Canada Painfully Slow at Adopting Modern Medical Technology, Report Says
A new study by independent research organization the Fraser Institute says Canada is painfully slow in adopting new medical technologies which could provide faster and more efficient identification and treatment of disease.
The study, titled Medical Technology in Canada, evaluates the availability of medical technology in Canada compared to other nations within the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); measures the age and sophistication of medical technology in Canada; and measures the stock of available cutting-edge medical technology in Toronto,Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Calgary. The study focuses principally on technologies in the diagnostic imaging, laboratory diagnostic, surgical, and patient services areas.
“The results of our failure to invest in new medical technologies are exemplified by long waiting times, less efficient use of medical resources, and less timely and sophisticated diagnosis and treatment,” says Nadeem Esmail, Director of Health System Performance Studies at The Fraser Institute and co-author of the study.
The study also identifies Canada’s health care system as one of the most expensive in the world. Esmail points out that the federal government transferred $3 billion in targeted funding to the provinces between 2000 and 2004 in an effort to improve the availability of medical technology. Yet, according to the study, modern medical technologies still remain notably rare.
According to OECD data, the number of MRI units in Canada, 6.2 per million people, lags behind the OECD average of 10.2 per million. Likewise, CT scanners, 12 per million people in Canada, lag behind the OECD average of 19.2 per million.
