Canada participates in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development Health Policy Forum and Health Ministerial Meeting

 Focusing on patient-centred care to improve health system outcomes

OTTAWA, Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Countries around the world are facing complex health challenges that stem from new pressures, such as the changing needs of an ageing population, rising rates of chronic diseases, the need to effectively manage new health technologies, and the need to tackle global threats to health. Canada recognizes these challenges and remains committed in the global effort to improve health system outcomes.

Today, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, concluded a successful visit to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, where she took part in the Health Policy Forum and Health Ministerial meeting. The OECD Health Policy Forum on the Future of Health brought together health ministers, senior policy makers, health system experts, and stakeholders from around the world to discuss how health systems can support patient-centred care. 

During the Forum on January 16, Minister Philpott took part in a panel session with health ministers from Costa Rica, Japan, Norway, Turkey and the European Commission to discuss the policies decision-makers can and should implement to make health systems more patient-centred. Minister Philpott highlighted the role of social determinants of health in keeping people healthy, the need to consider care that is meaningful and valuable to the patient, as well as embracing new technology to guide those efforts in a sustainable way.

The OECD Health Ministers Meeting on January 17 focused on the topic of "The Next Generation of Healthcare Reforms". During this meeting, Minister Philpott and her OECD colleagues explored the shared challenges of incorporating big data into health policy decisions and how to improve patient outcomes through better data. They also discussed how countries can work together to tackle the issue of excessive drug prices, the importance of addressing mental health in health systems and the need for a set of international indicators on mental health.

While at the OECD, Minister Philpott also took the opportunity to meet with her counterparts from other countries and international organizations — including the UK, Switzerland and the World Bank — to discuss topics of shared interest, in particular mental health and problematic opioid use.

Quotes

"With persisting health inequalities and emerging health threats, countries around the world, including Canada, need to find ways to make the delivery of high-quality health care more efficient and ensure that our investments in health systems improve patient health. Through the OECD Health Policy Forum and Ministerial Meeting, health ministers are working together to improve knowledge, share experiences and reduce inefficiencies as we strive to develop patient-centred systems."
The Honourable Jane Philpott
Minister of Health

Associated Links
Ministerial Statement: The Next Generation of Healthcare Reforms
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Policy Forum and Health Ministers Meeting

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Andrew MacKendrick, Office of Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, [phone]