Jan 6, 2011 - Although patient-centred care is becoming all the rage in Canadian health care, there’s nothing in the way of a national voice for patients.
But after nearly four formative years, a Toronto-based group hopes to fill that void by officially launching itself as The Patients’ Association of Canada, a patient-led and patient-governed charitable organization that can advocate on behalf of patients on a level with that of existing national associations of doctors and nurses.
The planned Feb. 15 official launch is the prelude to the development of a national platform that presents patient’s concerns and needs to the country’s decision-makers, says Sholom Glouberman, cofounder of the association and philosopher in residence at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Ontario.
The organization hopes to evolve into a broad umbrella organization that speaks for patients and bring systemic change to Canadian health care, Glouberman adds. “We not interested in getting resources for particular diseases. We’re interested more in the structure of the system and ways in which the patient voice can be stronger.†To that end, the association hopes to develop educational programs aimed at helping health care administrators find means of assimilating the patient voice into their decision-making processes, such as including patients on governing boards and committees.
The embryonic organization has received a grant from the Canadian Health Research Foundation and has applied for another from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Outside of that, it’s funded entirely from donations and pledges, and currently has no paid staff but that may change as a result of a membership drive and a marketing push slated to coincide with the February launch. “We’re not getting any money from drug companies,†Glouberman stresses.
The association currently has a membership of about 130 and hopes to expand that tally to 3000 by year’s end.
This article was originally posted here.