Directions Conference Series

The Directions for Canadian Health Care Conference series, developed by Merck Frosst Canada Ltd., was started in 1998 to provide forums for debate on the future of the Canadian health system. They have been designed to provide opportunities for thoughtful debate by innovative thinkers on key issues facing the health care system.

Directions I - (1998) Do We Care? The Future of the Canadian Healthcare System
Chaired by Margaret Sommerville. Expert panelists looked at Legal, Ethical, Political, Economic & Clinical principles that need to be considered in the design of a health system.

" We need to have a debate about purpose. Then we can have a debate about money. Then we can have a political debate. First we deal with the idea, then we move to the utilitarian idea of money, then we move to pure politics. If we decide that we care, and choose the direction we want to go in, then we will find a way to make it happen".
- John Raulston Saul - Directions I, Toronto 1998

Directions II - (1999) Health for All: Setting Targets for the 21st Century
Chaired by Nancy Kotani, National and International speakers addressed the use of health targets as a vehicle to enhance population health.

"The final piece of advice I would give you is to help Canadians understand the linkage between health care and the economy. This is not just about caring or about too many people. ...Canada with its 30 million people and vast territory may find that its best bet to survive economically in this new era is a strong health care system. If we make that point then I think we have to change some values".
- Angus Reid, Directions II - Calgary - 1999

Directions III - (2000) Advancing Health Science & the Economy: Invitational Roundtable
Chaired by Hugh Segal, Expert Roundtable to explore new ways of thinking about the healthcare system that consider its role in scientific and economic advancement as well as its social benefits.

"There's this whole health industries complex that is a big part of economic development. It's become so large and the industries so important that there's another sort of another feedback loop between the health industries and economic development in general, aside from the loop of making healthier people. A big driver of economic growth is the health sector."
- Roger Martin, Directions III, Toronto, 2000

Directions IV - (2001) Advancing Health, Science & the Economy: Conference
Chaired by Mark Poznansky. The conference continued on the theme of Directions III and attempted to sketch out a vision of the healthcare system that would support Canada's efforts to become a leader in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century while providing quality and affordable health care.

Directions IV, Toronto, 2001

Directions V - (2002) The Universe of the Future Patient: Anticipating Our Health System in 2010.
Chaired by Peter Singer, Director, University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics.This national conference looked at the key driving forces in technology, life sciences and consumer expectations and discussed their impact on the universe of the future patient. Panelists and speakers were asked to anticipate how these forces would impact the patient/provider relationship and the management of the health system.

Directions VI - (2003) Health care and the innovation agenda:
Assuring Canada’s growth in the life sciences’ century: Report from the conference Health Innovation, Wealth Creation and System Renewal November 20th, 2003, Montréal. Keynote addresses from Henry Friesen, André Marcheterre, Daniel Denis, and David Griller looked at the broad goals that have been set out for health innovation in Canada and at the challenges these present to private companies, universities, and policymakers.

Directions VII - West (2004) Seizing Opportunities - Creating a Thriving Life Sciences Sector in British Columbia (ENGLISH ONLY)
Key Stakeholders from British Columbia gathered to discuss how to create a thriving Life Sciences Sector in the province. The forum included presentations from speakers from the UK, USA and Quebec and a panel discussed how to adopt lessons from those jurisdictions.

Directions VII - East (2004) Advancing Innovation and Economic Development in the Life Sciences Sector in Atlantic Canada (ENGLISH ONLY) (with the Life Sciences Development Corporation)
Key stakeholders from industry, government, research institutions and investors in Atlanatic Canada gathered to dicuss how to establish a process to align priorities and develop a shared vision for the life sciences sector.

Directions VIII - Improving Health Outcomes in an Era of Healthcare Transformation(ENGLISH ONLY)
Held in Toronto in November, 2005 and chaired by Graham Scott, this conference addressed the challenge of designing health care reforms that integrate strategies and structures known to improve outcomes, especially for patients with chronic diseases. The conference examined several key questions on health system reform -- Will the changes underway in Ontario encourage: public health education; identification and care of at-risk people; and optimal medication use? Will they help providers engage patients as partners in their care? Can they extend the advantages of comprehensive primary care to the whole population? How can prevention be better integrated with health system reforms? Participants developed 10 recommendations to keep Ontario's current health care transformation focused on patient outcomes. These recommendations also provide helpful insight for health system reforms in other jurisdictions.

Click here for link to electronic copies of Directions (I - VIII) proceedings.

Directions I (696 Kb)