A global collaboration between academic, non-governmental, life sciences, healthcare and business organizations has been put together to improve the sustainability and resilience of healthcare systems. 

“Pre-pandemic, many healthcare systems around the world were struggling to contain costs and meet demand amid aging and growing populations and rises in chronic diseases along with workforce and other challenges,” said the newly formed Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) in Canada. “COVID-19 further exacerbated many of these issues and starkly exposed weaknesses in health systems. Canada has not been immune to these challenges. 

In Canada, the PHSSR and its partners will work with local academics, governments, policymakers, patients and other stakeholders to guide action through a research report that offers policy recommendations to improve the sustainability and resilience of healthcare systems. 

UofT professor to begin study of Canada’s healthcare systems 

Working with Sara Allin, Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto and the Director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, the PHSSR is commencing its study of healthcare systems in Canada. 

Prof. Allin will use a framework developed by the London School of Economics to assess Canada's health systems across seven key areas: financing; governance; workforce; medicines and technology; service delivery; population health; and environmental sustainability, in order to identify strengths, potential weaknesses, opportunities and risks. A report will be developed and validated with input from a pan-Canadian Expert Panel of health system leaders and scholars. 

“While it is impossible to prevent all issues, efforts should be taken to ensure that health systems are able to continually strive to improve population health over the long-term, while also being able to better prepare for, adapt to, learn, transform, and recover from shocks. I look forward to commencing the study so that we can learn and create a new path forward for our healthcare systems," said Prof. Allin.