Notes for an address by Dr. Henry Haddad, President, Canadian Medical Association : Public Hearings on “Issues and Options” Report : Presentation to The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations : Securing Our Future . . . Balancing Urgent Health Care Needs of Today With The Important Challenges of Tomorrow
That the Canadian Medical Association and its Divisions work with Canadian medical schools to facilitate access to medical education for Canadian aboriginal students.
That the Canadian Medical Association and its Divisions work with Canadian medical schools to facilitate access to medical education for Canadian aboriginal students.
That a department of laboratory medicine, nuclear medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation or diagnostic radiology in a hospital or clinic must be under the direction of a physician who is responsible for the department professionally to the organized medical staff and administratively to the governing body via the executive officer. The director must be a specialist appropriately certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or equivalent body. If the size of the hospital or clinic does not permit of the appointment of a full time specialist, preferably and whenever possible, the director should be appointed from the medical staff and a specialist be appointed as a consultant.
That a department of laboratory medicine, nuclear medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation or diagnostic radiology in a hospital or clinic must be under the direction of a physician who is responsible for the department professionally to the organized medical staff and administratively to the governing body via the executive officer. The director must be a specialist appropriately certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or equivalent body. If the size of the hospital or clinic does not permit of the appointment of a full time specialist, preferably and whenever possible, the director should be appointed from the medical staff and a specialist be appointed as a consultant.
That this Canadian Medical Association statement on eye care be approved.
1. The medical profession in general and ophthalmologists in particular have a responsibility to provide leadership in developing plans for effective, efficient and realistic eye care in Canadians.
2. The principle that the provision of eye care includes both medical and non-medical personnel is recognized and accepted. Any such personnel should be organized and administered to ensure adherence to all of the following specific principles:
a) provision of quality eye care includes both medical (including surgical) and non-medical acts,
b) only duly qualified and legally licensed physicians must be allowed to provide the medical aspects of eye care,
c) duly qualified and legally licensed physicians must also be free to provide complete eye care,
d) the duly qualified and legally licensed physician must be free to delegate appropriate eye care acts at his discretion to persons acting under his control and his responsibility,
e) non-medical personnel should be free to perform independently only non-medical eye care acts: and they should perform independently only those acts that they are legally authorized to perform independently, and
f) guidelines for referral between non- medical and medical personnel are essential.
3. Within the broad limits set by the above, many patterns are possible. However, in order to be effective, efficient and realistic, any eye care plan or plans that are developed should meet the following criteria:
a) every citizen should have reasonable access to the eye care system through duly qualified and legally licensed medical or non-medical personnel of his choice in his own population-area,
b) every citizen should have reasonable access to treatment of ocular disease by duly qualified and legally licensed medical personnel either by direct personal appointment, or by referral from other primary eye care personnel,
c) treatment for especially complicated cases should be available to every citizen upon referral from medical personnel to specialized medical personnel in one or more adequately equipped centres in each province or region,
d) programs designed for the promotion of eye health should be provided in every population-area. These should include prevention and early detection of eye disease and injury, and may be provided through programs and services that serve general needs or special needs such as:
i) pre-school needs
ii) school needs
iii) industrial and occupational and recreational needs
iv) specific survey (e.g., glaucoma) needs
v) special purpose (e.g., driving and sports) needs
vi) geriatric needs
vii) ocular rehabilitation needs
e) training institutions must be equipped and staffed to prepare graduates appropriately for their assigned roles in eye care term,
f) optical appliances should be available in every population area, and other ocular prostheses should be within reasonable access- all at reasonable cost,
g) methods of financing should provide for the maximum quality eye care for every one at the lowest possible cost to the government and to the private citizen,
h) eye research programs should be appropriately staffed and funded, and
i) the organizational structure of eye care services should establish and maintain lines of control and responsibility that are consistent with the principles and criteria enunciated above.
That this Canadian Medical Association statement on eye care be approved.
1. The medical profession in general and ophthalmologists in particular have a responsibility to provide leadership in developing plans for effective, efficient and realistic eye care in Canadians.
2. The principle that the provision of eye care includes both medical and non-medical personnel is recognized and accepted. Any such personnel should be organized and administered to ensure adherence to all of the following specific principles:
a) provision of quality eye care includes both medical (including surgical) and non-medical acts,
b) only duly qualified and legally licensed physicians must be allowed to provide the medical aspects of eye care,
c) duly qualified and legally licensed physicians must also be free to provide complete eye care,
d) the duly qualified and legally licensed physician must be free to delegate appropriate eye care acts at his discretion to persons acting under his control and his responsibility,
e) non-medical personnel should be free to perform independently only non-medical eye care acts: and they should perform independently only those acts that they are legally authorized to perform independently, and
f) guidelines for referral between non- medical and medical personnel are essential.
3. Within the broad limits set by the above, many patterns are possible. However, in order to be effective, efficient and realistic, any eye care plan or plans that are developed should meet the following criteria:
a) every citizen should have reasonable access to the eye care system through duly qualified and legally licensed medical or non-medical personnel of his choice in his own population-area,
b) every citizen should have reasonable access to treatment of ocular disease by duly qualified and legally licensed medical personnel either by direct personal appointment, or by referral from other primary eye care personnel,
c) treatment for especially complicated cases should be available to every citizen upon referral from medical personnel to specialized medical personnel in one or more adequately equipped centres in each province or region,
d) programs designed for the promotion of eye health should be provided in every population-area. These should include prevention and early detection of eye disease and injury, and may be provided through programs and services that serve general needs or special needs such as:
i) pre-school needs
ii) school needs
iii) industrial and occupational and recreational needs
iv) specific survey (e.g., glaucoma) needs
v) special purpose (e.g., driving and sports) needs
vi) geriatric needs
vii) ocular rehabilitation needs
e) training institutions must be equipped and staffed to prepare graduates appropriately for their assigned roles in eye care term,
f) optical appliances should be available in every population area, and other ocular prostheses should be within reasonable access- all at reasonable cost,
g) methods of financing should provide for the maximum quality eye care for every one at the lowest possible cost to the government and to the private citizen,
h) eye research programs should be appropriately staffed and funded, and
i) the organizational structure of eye care services should establish and maintain lines of control and responsibility that are consistent with the principles and criteria enunciated above.
The Canadian Medical Association, recognizing the vital role of ambulance services in providing mobile life support for the acutely ill and injured, recommends that
i) ambulance services be considered, where practicable, a direct extension of a hospital emergency department and integrated with the emergency services,
ii) ambulance services incorporate standards of personnel education, vehicular design and life support equipment commensurate with those of the overall emergency care system.
The Canadian Medical Association, recognizing the vital role of ambulance services in providing mobile life support for the acutely ill and injured, recommends that
i) ambulance services be considered, where practicable, a direct extension of a hospital emergency department and integrated with the emergency services,
ii) ambulance services incorporate standards of personnel education, vehicular design and life support equipment commensurate with those of the overall emergency care system.
