A new national public opinion survey examining the state of health care in Canada reveals a public that is at a tipping point, overwhelmingly frustrated with the status quo, and signaling a clear mandate for evolution and change. The inaugural survey from Santis Health and Nanos Research, The Canadian Health Perspective, is the first in a series looking at Canadians’ experience in health care, their priorities, and desire to see improvements for lasting system change.
Key findings show that:
- 91% of Canadians agree it is important for the system to change now, a view held across all demographics and provinces.
- This demand is driven by discontent, with 70% of Canadians reporting they feel “worried” or “frustrated” about the current state of care.
- Canadians have lost their confidence in the health system, being four times more likely to report that the health care system is moving in the wrong direction (55%) than it is moving in the right direction (14%).
- Long waits are the defining failure of the system by Canadians (26%), cited more often than any other concern.
“Nine in ten Canadians calling for system change is not a nudge, it’s a mandate. It’s a wake up call and importantly, ‘permission’ for decision-makers to move faster and further to innovate and do things differently,” said Patrick Nelson, Managing Partner, Santis Health. “Canadians are ready and willing to change. The system and governments now have a license or even, an obligation, to lead it.”
“The study results show that 70% of Canadians are dissatisfied with the current state of health care,” said Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist and Founder of Nanos Research. “Although the national conversation includes priorities like geopolitical uncertainty, the economy, and inflation, Canadians are telling us that fixing health care remains squarely top of mind.”
For faster access and better patient outcomes, the data shows that Canadians are ready to embrace real change, such as team-based care, digital innovation, and new delivery partnerships.
“Canadians want a strong and accessible public health care system, but they recognize that the status quo isn’t delivering. Innovative technologies, breakthrough medications and new ways for delivering care have the potential to massively improve health and outcomes, but we need to integrate them rapidly into the public system to ensure fair and equitable benefit for all Canadians,” said Dan Carbin, Managing Partner, Santis Health.
Key Findings
Canadians are at a tipping point and have lost their confidence
- 91% of Canadians agree it is important for the system to change now, a view held across all demographics and geographical regions. Troublingly, 70% report feeling “worried” or “frustrated” by the current health care system. Residents of Quebec reported the lowest rates of hope (2%) while people living in Atlantic Canada are more likely to report feeling hopeful (26%) about Canada’s health care system today.
- Only 14% of Canadians believe the country’s health system is heading in the right direction. In stark contrast, four times as many respondents (55%) think the system is actively heading the wrong way. Navigating the health system more frequently intensifies concerns: Canadians who make health decisions for themselves and others are more likely than the national average to believe that health care in Canada is moving in the wrong direction.
The wait time crisis tops list of concerns
- Long waits are the defining failure of the system (26%), cited as the top concern by Canadians in the Prairies, Ontario, Atlantic Canada, and British Columbia. This wait list pressure is more likely felt by Canadians who make health care decisions both for themselves and others than by those who make health care decisions only for themselves.
- Quebec is an outlier with respondents more likely to list poor access to services as their top concern (27%).
- Other top mentioned concerns include:
- Shortage of health care staff (11%)
- Shortage of family doctors (8%)
- Opposition to privatization (7%)
When asked how the health system can be improved besides increasing government spending, Canadians suggest:
- Increase public funding and protect public delivery (9%)
- Expand private health care options (7%)
- Cut administrative layers and red tape (7%)
The report also reflects a call for innovative, results-based solutions that move past traditional delivery models in order to create a more effective health system:
Appetite among Canadians for virtual ways to deliver and automate care is growing, as is the desire to own their own health data
- The majority of Canadians (67%) are either “open” or “somewhat open” to having health care providers use AI to assist with diagnosis, treatment plans and to help keep up with changing information.
- Nearly 81% of Canadians are either “open” or “somewhat open” to modernizing care delivery through expanded virtual care and digital tools.
- 82% of Canadians would like to access a secure “digital health wallet” that they own and control, allowing them to instantly share their full medical history with any doctor or hospital of their choice.
Shifting perspectives on Primary Care
- 69% are open to receiving routine care and prescriptions from qualified professionals other than doctors, such as pharmacists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
- In order to see more patients, the majority of Canadians across all demographic groups agree to some extent (82% either “open” or “somewhat open”) that government rules need to be updated to allow family doctors to be paid for care delegated to other members of the health team.
Solutions to wait times reveal openness to private delivery
- About 7 in 10 Canadians believe the best approach to improve health care in Canada involves at least a role for private care.
- Meanwhile, 60% of Canadians would be “open” or “somewhat open” to private organizations delivering publicly-funded surgeries and diagnostic tests.
Canadians do not want to wait for new drugs, and they’re willing to pay
- The data shows overwhelming support to pay for life-saving medications if it means they can get them sooner. 72% of Canadians prefer that the government ensures access to new life-saving medications at the exact same time as other major countries—even if it means the government has to pay higher prices.
Visit SantisHealth.ca/Canadian-Health-Perspective for full study details.
