As reflected in reports in the Globe and Mail on September 7 and 8, the news is mixed from the CMA's annual convention. The good news is that the CMA is showing clear signs of reducing its clamour for privatization and moving to a two-tiered medical system. The last two years have seen dramatic debates and votes as members of the organization pushed an agenda clearly contrary to the public interest. The MRG congratulates the organization for these indications that it is moving on to more productive activities. One such activity is the official CMA stance regarding better health care monitoring to document how well the system is meeting patients' needs.
Current documentation is woefully inadequate.
The MRG supports the move to better information systems, but wants it done right. Allan Rock has called for report cards. Report cards are a good idea, if they report the right information, and do it properly. Reports of death rates, or complication rates of surgery, can be extremely misleading. If done poorly, or conducted in a biased way, investigations can create nothing more than unproductive controversy.