CADTH Symposium Promotes the Use of Evidence in Health Care

OTTAWA, April 6, 2016 /CNW/ - From April 10 to 12, 2016, health care experts from across Canada and around the world will meet in Ottawa for the 12th annual CADTH Symposium. The conference will focus on using evidence at all layers of the health care system to inform policy and practice decisions about drugs, medical devices, diagnostic tests, and surgical procedures.

Decision-makers and health policy experts from Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments will join health economists, academics, clinicians, patient groups, and representatives from the medical device and pharmaceutical industries to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing Canadian health care today.

"No government anywhere in the world can afford to make every drug or medical device available to its citizens, nor will every innovation improve the quality of our health care system. Balancing the needs of patients with what the system can afford is incredibly difficult," said Dr. Brian O'Rourke, President and CEO of CADTH. "I'm looking forward to our Symposium and the opportunity to discuss how we make evidence available to, and usable by, everyone in our health care system."

Highlights of the 2016 CADTH Symposium include:

• Welcoming remarks from the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health
• Presentations by global experts from Canada, the United States, and Australia, including:
  • Dr. Robert Bell, Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Government of Ontario
  • Dr. Chris Simpson, Past-President, Canadian Medical Association
  • Dr. Jessica Otte, Family Physician and creator of the website www.lessismoremedicine.com
  • Ms. Linda Wilhelm, President, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance
  • Dr. Murray Ross, Vice-President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (US), and Director, Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy (US)
  • Dr. Guy Maddern, Director, Division of Surgery, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Australia)
• Three plenary sessions, 15 workshops, 36 concurrent sessions, five breakfast sessions, and 65 scientific posters
• The presentation of the CADTH Recognition Awards, honouring pioneers and rising stars in the field of health technology assessment.

For details about the 2016 CADTH Symposium, view the conference program. Follow CADTH on Twitter (@CADTH_ACMTS) and join the Symposium conversation using the hashtag #CADTHSymp

About CADTH
CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit organization responsible for providing Canada's health care decision-makers with objective evidence to help make informed decisions about the optimal use of drugs and medical devices in our health care system (www.cadth.ca).

SOURCE Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)

Image with caption: "Logo: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) (CNW Group/Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160406_C6025_PHOTO_EN_659691.jpg

to arrange an interview, or to request a free media pass, please contact: Emilie Adams, Communications Officer, CADTH, 613 226 2553, ext. 1518, [email protected]