HealthcarePapers
Abstract
Second, Peggy Leatt, the editor-in-chief, is one of three authors of the lead paper and removed herself from the role of editor for this issue. It was edited by the associate editor with valuable support from members of the editorial advisory board listed on the next page, and Dianne Foster Kent, our managing editor.
Third, one of the responding authors, Michael Decter, departed from the traditional format and penned a letter purportedly from a deputy minister of health to the premier of a province.We could not resist placing it before the lead paper. This, despite Decter's preference to be "part of the larger group of reactions to the excellent Leatt et al. piece."
Decter calls for bold actions to implement health system changes that place the patient first, and would restore public confidence at the same time. Fortunately, he provides a bold action plan. The plan is hard to ignore coming from a former deputy minister who is now a highly respected healthcare advisor, author and analyst, and chair of the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
We will look for a response from deputies, ministers and premiers and all our readers as they consider their policy options cognizant of the need to build professional, organizational, political and consumer readiness (see Shamian et al.) to put these policies in place. And that may be the toughest task of all.
In the process of making policy decisions readers may want to refer to our last issue which elegantly presents all sides of primary care reform, and they can look forward to our review of the sustainability of a publicly funded system - for release in June, 2000.
We would be pleased to publish comments in our next issue - even if the ministers are presented pseudonymously.
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