Canada’s Healthcare System Needs a Paradigm Shift to Meet Current and Future Medical Needs

UPS Canada's healthcare system was already under immense pressure before the COVID-19 pandemic.Hallway medicine, weeks-long wait times, overcrowded emergency departments, and exhausted healthcare professionals were the norm.The COVID-19 pandemic has only further exacerbated the problems in our healthcare system.The structure of today's healthcare system was first established in the 1960s 1 and operates in a treatment-focused manner, comprised mostly of doctors and hospitals.2 Healthcare needs of the past were predominantly for the treatment of acute diseases and injuries.However, an increasingly aging population and the prevalence of chronic diseases, often associated with functional impairment or disability, are changing the types of health services requested.Reforming the structure of Canada's healthcare system is imperative to address the evolving needs of the population.What Canadians need the most is a reformed healthcare system that will improve access and provide the most cost-efficient and appropriate care for all, by investing in the distribution of healthcare services through primary care, virtual care, and long-term and home care.