Why Canada should adopt primary health care now
Primary health care (PHC) is a principle-based, comprehensive approach. It focuses on the way services are delivered, from birth to death, across the continuum of care in all settings. It’s about creating the conditions that improve the health of all Canadians and putting the people who receive health services at the centre of care.
As outlined in CNA’s revised Primary Health Care position statement [PDF, 230 KB] (2015), a key reason for reinforcing the principles of PHC is to foster health empowerment and make the best use of our resources.
These days, the rising costs of acute, episodic and hospital-based care are becoming more apparent than ever. In part, these increases are the result of policies and funding decisions that have overemphasized illness care at the expense of promoting health. That’s why transforming the health-care system through strengthened PHC is vital.