The primary health care professional in Corner Brook would not only like to keep up with the times, but have a say in what exactly the future will bring.
So the physician attended Thursday evening’s regional public forum on health care wearing two hats — to listen and to provide input.
He said the need to change to keep up with demands is recognized within the profession.
There is not just changing demographics, but new diseases and illnesses to adapt to, Smallwood said.
“The basic health will generally stay the same, but the approach to it to maximize the benefits will have to change,” he said.
While a CT scan was once a rarely used specialty piece of equipment that became somewhat expected by patients. The same followed with PET scans and MRIs, he said.
Does the latest, greatest, and most expensive equipment and tests have the best outcome measures or is it primary health care teams working together better that is going to have the greatest outcome, the doctor questioned.
“I think we put more focus toward primary health, rather than specialist health, which is very important,” he said. “If you have an effective primary health team, I think the overall health of the population will see a greater benefit from that than the next fancy diagnostic imaging scan.”
Primary health teams are hard to implement, costly, and logistically difficult, according to the doctor. However, he said such a forum is an appropriate place to start the discussions and begin understanding what it will take to make such a primary health care reform.
“I think we have all the pieces, all the talent and expertise, but it is a matter of getting them all to work together most optimally to provide the best health care for patients,” Smallwood said.
The regional forum in Corner Brook was the third of four held in the province, with Monday’s in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to be the last. The forums are helping shape the agenda for the Premier’s Summit on Health Care to be held in St. John’s Jan. 14.
Health and Community Services Minister Steve Kent was in attendance, listening to between 40 and 50 people discuss primary health care.
He said, regardless of the region or demographic represented, the majority of the themes or issues have been similar at the forums.
Kent said the discussion on the need for more prevention and intervention comes through clearly.
“We have a health care system that does great work when people get sick, but we need more emphasis on preventing people from getting sick,” he said.
Mental health and addictions and the need for more collaborative care and co-ordination of services are two other areas of primary health care, the minister mentioned.
Government is listening, and actions are the next step, Kent said.
The information from the forums can be viewed online and the Corner Brook session will be available in the coming days.
“As important as listening is, we have to be talking about meaningful solutions that can affect change,” the minister said.
WEBLINK
health.gov.nl.ca/summit/
Supports/services needed to help you stay healthy
— access to nutritious and affordable food
— use of technology to access primary health care providers
— access to physical education/recreation in the community
The rest (no particular order)
— access to alternate primary health care providers
— affordable access to wellness supports
— available education on wellness and prevention
— working together as a community to improve individual lifestyles
— more wellness options for certain age groups
— access for mental illness and addiction issues
Source: Participants of the Corner Brook forum on primary health care
The primary health care professional in Corner Brook would not only like to keep up with the times, but have a say in what exactly the future will bring.
So the physician attended Thursday evening’s regional public forum on health care wearing two hats — to listen and to provide input.
He said the need to change to keep up with demands is recognized within the profession.
There is not just changing demographics, but new diseases and illnesses to adapt to, Smallwood said.
“The basic health will generally stay the same, but the approach to it to maximize the benefits will have to change,” he said.
While a CT scan was once a rarely used specialty piece of equipment that became somewhat expected by patients. The same followed with PET scans and MRIs, he said.
Does the latest, greatest, and most expensive equipment and tests have the best outcome measures or is it primary health care teams working together better that is going to have the greatest outcome, the doctor questioned.
“I think we put more focus toward primary health, rather than specialist health, which is very important,” he said. “If you have an effective primary health team, I think the overall health of the population will see a greater benefit from that than the next fancy diagnostic imaging scan.”
Primary health teams are hard to implement, costly, and logistically difficult, according to the doctor. However, he said such a forum is an appropriate place to start the discussions and begin understanding what it will take to make such a primary health care reform.
“I think we have all the pieces, all the talent and expertise, but it is a matter of getting them all to work together most optimally to provide the best health care for patients,” Smallwood said.
The regional forum in Corner Brook was the third of four held in the province, with Monday’s in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to be the last. The forums are helping shape the agenda for the Premier’s Summit on Health Care to be held in St. John’s Jan. 14.
Health and Community Services Minister Steve Kent was in attendance, listening to between 40 and 50 people discuss primary health care.
He said, regardless of the region or demographic represented, the majority of the themes or issues have been similar at the forums.
Kent said the discussion on the need for more prevention and intervention comes through clearly.
“We have a health care system that does great work when people get sick, but we need more emphasis on preventing people from getting sick,” he said.
Mental health and addictions and the need for more collaborative care and co-ordination of services are two other areas of primary health care, the minister mentioned.
Government is listening, and actions are the next step, Kent said.
The information from the forums can be viewed online and the Corner Brook session will be available in the coming days.
“As important as listening is, we have to be talking about meaningful solutions that can affect change,” the minister said.
WEBLINK
health.gov.nl.ca/summit/
Supports/services needed to help you stay healthy
— access to nutritious and affordable food
— use of technology to access primary health care providers
— access to physical education/recreation in the community
The rest (no particular order)
— access to alternate primary health care providers
— affordable access to wellness supports
— available education on wellness and prevention
— working together as a community to improve individual lifestyles
— more wellness options for certain age groups
— access for mental illness and addiction issues
Source: Participants of the Corner Brook forum on primary health care
