Name and Title About Me Insert photo of yourself List your institution of practice and subspecialty Short bio or facts about your practice I am here to speak to you today as a radiologist as well as a representative for the Canadian Association of Radiologists CAR ID: 911943
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Slide1
Improving Access to Medical Imaging for Canadians
Name and Title
Slide2About Me
Insert photo of yourself
List your institution of practice and subspecialty
Short bio or facts about your practice
I am here to speak to you today as a radiologist as well as a representative for the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR)
Slide3What Role does Radiology Play in the Healthcare Continuum?
Radiology is at the center of healthcare delivery and impacts most facets of patient care.
Radiologists are integral members of the healthcare team and play a key role in interpreting images collected through
xray
, CT, MRI and ultrasound
Imaging is essential in helping to diagnose illness and disease. Imaging can also help to manage and treat medical conditions such as cancers and stroke.
Slide4Status of Medical Imaging in Canada
Canadian imaging equipment is undersupplied – investment in medical imaging is at a 20-year low.
Excessive wait times impact millions of Canadians in terms of quality of life and health outcomes, including in the riding of
XXXXX
.
Patients suffer financially because of wait times due to the fact that they cannot work.
In 2018, thousands of Canadians (380,000) were forced temporarily out of work while waiting for treatment.
CT and MRI services are needed by millions of Canadians, however, are constrained by health system limits.
27% of equipment is more than 11 years old, most people would not drive a car that old. Give an example of wait times in your province/ region – an impactful story
Slide5Wait Times and the COVID-19 Affect
COVID-19 related measures postponed medical imaging for
hundreds of thousands of Canadians
(March – June 2020) resulting in a 50% reduction in medical imaging services across the country
N
on-urgent cancer screening was suspended but
cancer does not wait for COVID
These reductions exacerbated existing, lengthy waitlists. Prior to the pandemic patients were waiting: An average of 50–82 days for CT scans and Up to 89 days for MRI
These wait times are 20–52 days longer than recommended
.
Slide6Economic Impact of Waiting
According to a report
commissioned by the CMA in October 2020:
Clearing the Backlog: The Cost to Return Wait Times to Pre-Pandemic Levels
,
wait time delays due to the first wave of COVID-19 have resulted in additional costs to clear the backlog
MRI scan: 52.0 days; $377 million
CT scan: 33.1 days; $377 million Procedures that have the highest funding requirements include MRI scans and CT scans. This result is not surprising given the MRI and CT scans make up 78% of all procedures across Canada Canada is behind the international standard for the age and supply of medical imaging equipment & an investment of $1.5 billion over five years is
required to bring wait lists to an acceptable standard, based on data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic
There are many patients who were already waiting months for imaging procedures that continue to be unable to work,
costing the economy an estimated $5 billion in 2020
.
Slide7Priorities
The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) is asking for
$1.5 billion investment
in medical imaging equipment over
5 years
to support Canadians and ensure there is the capacity to integrate technology such as AI to help the health system run more efficiently and effectively to deal with the growing wait lists and now an influx of imaging in the healthcare system due to COVID-19
. This will bring wait times to within
30 days
for non-emergent cases, an agreed upon standard. We are also asking for an investment in health human resources to support the influx of patients and imaging procedures as well as the government to take a leadership position in the implementation of a national electronic referrals (Clinical Decision Support) system so that patients access the right test the first time.
Slide8Concluding Thoughts
Prior to the pandemic, our healthcare system was not equipped to deal with the demand.
We lack sufficient medical imaging equipment and do not have the appropriate health human resources in place to support the number of patients waiting
. The status quo is not sustainable.
We need to
thoughtfully introduce and adopt new technologies
that can enhance patient care in a more efficient way. This, combined with a national clinical decision support program,
will ensure that patients have access to the right test, the first time
. We are asking for your support to help champion our priorities within the House of Commons. This would be a tremendous benefit to patients across Canada. Working together, we can improve the quality of care for patients, save lives, and help the Government enhance value and while saving the economy billions of dollars.
Slide9