President's Letter
Dear Members:
Today I am releasing our latest tracking data on the care deficit and the impact on patient care disrupted by the pandemic. This survey took place in November 2022 and we have been tracking the care deficit since summer 2021. You can read the albertapatients.ca full report, but here are the highlights compared to March 2022.
In our patient community, women, patients under 55 and those with chronic conditions are most affected by the care deficit.
There have been some improvements among respondents:
- Fewer say their physical health is worse than before the pandemic (44%, down from 48%)
- Fewer say their mental health is worse (48%, down from 65%)
- Fewer are experiencing cancellations of non-urgent surgeries or procedures (9%, down from 14%)
The care deficit is worse in some areas for respondents:
- More report their care has been disrupted (75% up from 59%)
- Of those disrupted, 45% say their health has been negatively impacted, 10% a great deal.
You are always welcome to share your thoughts with me. You can email me via [email protected]. You can also comment below, on this letter.
Regards,
fred Rinaldi, MD, CCFP, FCFP, LLB, MBA, MPA(HSA), BCom
President, Alberta Medical Association
"Fate whispers to the warrior, 'You can not withstand the storm.' The warrior whispers back, 'I am the storm.'"