Jeremy Gutsche(2009), in his session on “adaptive innovation”, conducted an exercise with the participants to determine their view as to desired changes in the Canadian health system. The participants suggested that the Canadian health system should:
● Create a cultural connection with society (the public taxpayer) and focus on the value benefits of good health.
● Stimulate a wholesale attitudinal shift of Canadians towards health through social marketing campaigns.
● Encourage, enable and empower the acute care system to understand the power of investments in population health.
● Pursue changes in governance and service delivery models so as to “sort out” constantly shifting dynamics between provinces, the federal government, and regional mechanisms of organizing service delivery.
● Create national, provincial and local policy frameworks that support innovation.
● Undertake a national activity for the population and government to identify the needs (which should be funded in a universal health system) versus the wants that continue to grow.
● Accelerate the implementation of technology – e.g. e-health. electronic health records, improved information systems, and new technologies for diagnosing and treating health conditions.
● Create policy and service delivery models that encourage and enable patient responsibility for own health care, particularly in primary care and in dealing with multiple chronic disease conditions (particularly as it pertains to care of the elderly).
● Invest in staff safety and wellness; and into employee accountability and empowerment.
● Invest and support information technology in support of health and work redesign:, e.g. such as the LEAN initiatives in BC and Quebec (CCHSE, 2009)