Health Care in Canada: A Citizen's Guide to Policy and Politics

by Katherine Fierlbeck

Health Care in Canada examines the challenges faced by the Canadian health care system, a subject of much public debate. In this book Katherine Fierlbeck provides an in-depth discussion of how health care decisions are shaped by politics and why there is so much disagreement over how to fix the system. Many Canadians point to health care as a source of national pride; others are highly critical of the system's shortcomings and call for major reform. Yet meaningful debate cannot occur without an understanding of how the system actually operates. In this overview, Fierlbeck outlines the basic framework of the health care system with reference to specific areas such as administration and governance, public health, human resources, drugs and drug policy, and mental health. She also discusses alternative models in other countries such as Britain, the United States, and France. As health care becomes increasingly complex, it is crucial that Canadians have a solid grasp of the main issues within both the policy and political environments. With its balanced and accessible assessment of the main political and theoretical debates, Health Care in Canada is an essential guide for anyone with a stake in Canada's health system.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2011

Reviews

[J. Tayler Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in depth summary and comparison of health care in Canada.

I think this is a book worth reading for anyone who wants to have an informed opinion on health care in Canada (and perhaps health care in general - especially in North America). However, it is a text book, and my edition was from 2011 (making it a bit dated). Nevertheless, I did not find it that difficult of a read, though, it is a little dry at times.