AND SOCIETY 37. Commit to ensuring the quality of medical services offered to patients and society through the establishment and maintenance of professional standards. 38. Recognize that social determinants of health, the environment, and other fundamental considerations that extend beyond medical

of physicians in addressing the social determinants of health please see: Canadian Medical Association. Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health: A Role for the Medical Profession. Ottawa, ON; 2012. Available: http://policybase.cma.ca/dbtw- wpd/Policypdf/PD13-03.pdf 2 http://policybase.cma.ca

must have access to the full complement of health services, with incentives in the system to encourage the prevention of illness and to promote optimum health while addressing the complex causative pathways affecting health and disease (i.e., social determinants of health). A defined set

family physician. 20 In addition, the CIHI study found that factors related to the social determinants of health can also affect system efficiency (e.g., missed prevention opportunities). Frequently, the health care system is relied on to address preventable health needs that are attributable

productivity and reductions in health-related quality of life. The social costs of poor mental health are high; a person with serious mental illness is at high risk of experiencing poverty, homelessness and unemployment. Despite the widespread prevalence of mental health disorders, it is estimated

and the enhancement of their well- being. The broader social determinants of health (e.g., income, education level, housing, employment status) affect the ability of individuals to assume personal responsibility for adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyles and minimizing exposure to avoidable

. The federal government also has a role in addressing the social and economic factors that affect the health of Canadians. These factors are often referred to as the social determinants of health and were a central theme at the CMA’s annual General Council meeting this year. This brief provides tangible

, avoiding costly institutionalization for as long as feasible. To help older Canadians successfully maintain their independence, governments and society must keep the social determinants of health in mind when developing and implementing policy that affects seniors. It is also important to eliminate

attention to the role of the social determinants of health, are critical to the future health and wellness of Canadians and to the viability of the health care system.”12 CMA recommendations: 1. The Food Guide must go hand in hand with efforts to increase access to affordable, healthy food Food

of the Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disability One reason income is so critical to individual health is that it is so closely linked to many of the other social determinants of health. These include but are not limited to: education, employment

vulnerabilities. Therefore, work needs to be done to reduce the burden of diseases and improve upon the social determinants of health for vulnerable populations in Canada and globally. CMA recommends: 4. That the federal and provincial/territorial governments work together to improve the ability

- ing the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it.6 Under such conditions, individuals and families face intersecting social, mental and physical health risks that significantly increase morbidity and mortality.7,8 For example, people who are homeless and vulnerably housed experience

shared by our members – that policy-makers are not paying adequate attention to the social determinants of health, factors such as income and housing that have a major impact on health outcomes. We remind the government that every action that has a negative effect on health will lead to more costs

on improving the delivery of federal resources and services for the Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy is of profound interest to the CMA, given our concerns about the need to address the social determinants of health. It is that perspective from which this paper will approach the Committee’s areas

leadership that would contribute to these efforts by addressing the overall performance of the health care system in Canada. The CMA recommends that: • The federal government recognize the relationship of the social determinants of health on the demands of the health care system and that it implement

and the enhancement of their well-being, with attention paid to broader social determinants of health. Equitable: The health care system has a duty to Canadians to provide and advocate for equitable access to quality care and commonly adopted policies to address the social

(accessed 2013 Dec 9). 26 HM Treasury. Ending child poverty: mapping the route to 2020. London(UK); 2010. Available: http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/images/ecp/budget2 010_childpoverty.pdf (accessed 2014 Jan 17). 27 Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation

for Canadian physicians. ➢ In addition to advocating for issues related directly to patient care, physicians, as community leaders, may also be called upon to advocate for other issues of societal importance, such as protection of the environment or social determinants of health ➢ There can be a fine

is to promote the independence of older Canadians in their own homes and communities, avoiding costly institutionalization for as long as feasible. To help older Canadians successfully maintain their independence, it is important that governments and society ensure that the social determinants of health

for which there are effective treatments. However, using the social determinants as a framework, most health promotion and prevention efforts will take place outside of the traditional health and medical care services.2. Many Canadians face barriers in their physical, social and economic environments