Seven in ten (71%) Blame Canadian Leaders'
`Lack of Vision' (41%), `Fear' (30%) As Reason Why Healthcare Problems Remain Unsolved,
Not `Lack of Money' (29%)

Toronto, ON - A new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of the Canadian Medical Association shows that, on the eve of electing a new government, most Canadians are critical of their country's leaders when it comes to addressing the problems facing Canada's health care system.

Seven in ten say that Canada's leaders lack either the `vision' (41%) to fix such a complex issue or are `afraid' (30%) to take on such a politically sensitive issue as health care. This contrasts with the three in ten (29%) Canadians who say the health care problems have not been solved because the country cannot afford to pay for the increased demand on the system with the current levels of funding.

• Residents of British Columbia (50%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (56%) are most likely to say that leaders lack vision, while residents of Alberta (37%) and Quebec (37%) are most likely to say that the leaders fear taking on such a politically sensitive issue. Ontario residents (34%) are most likely to say that the country cannot afford to fix the health care system.

Three in four Canadians (74%) say that it is `very important' for `a political party to have a comprehensive health care policy that includes a plan to address the shortage of doctors', meanwhile an equal proportion (74%) say that federal politicians are not spending enough time `talking about the future of the health care system in the current federal election'. Only 23% of Canadians feel that federal politicians are spending about the right amount of time talking about the future of the health care system and 4% feel that federal politicians are talking too much about the health care system.

• A greater proportion of women than men say both that it is very important for a political party to have a comprehensive health care policy (79% versus 69%) and that federal politicians are not spending enough time talking about the future of the health care system in the current federal election (77% versus 70%). Residents of Alberta (80%), Quebec (77%) and the Atlantic (77%) are most likely to say that politicians are not spending enough time talking about the future of the health care system.

When asked what today's top health care priorities should be, two thirds (65%) believe that addressing the shortage of doctors should be a top priority (9 or 10 on a scale of 0 to 10). This is followed by addressing the shortage of other health care professionals (54%), improving the efficiency of the health care system (52%), the overall quality of health care (48%), access to MRIs, X-rays and other diagnostic equipment (45%), access to affordable prescription drugs (44%), access to mental health care (30%), and finally the lack of an electronic medical record (18%).

• The shortage of doctors is seen as a top priority by a greater proportion of residents of Alberta (72%) and Ontario (73%), compared to those of Quebec (54%).

When asked to narrow the list of issues to a single priority for governments to address, Canadians were twice as likely to identify addressing the shortage of doctors and other health care professionals as any other possible action presented to them. Respondents were first asked to prioritize each of the seven items on a scale of 0 to 10 and then were asked to choose only one of those issues that they had previously ranked as top priority (9 or 10).

They responded by saying that most important issues for governments to address should be the shortage of doctors (33%), followed by the efficiency of the health care system (15%), the overall quality of health care (13%), the shortage of other health care professionals (6%), access to MRIs, X-rays and other diagnostic equipment (6%), access to affordable prescription drugs (5%), access to mental health care (2%), and finally the lack of an electronic medical record (1%). Almost two in ten Canadians (19%) did not identify any of the items as a top priority.

When asked to rank health care alongside other pressing issues requiring action by the next newly elected government, an equal proportion say that the economy (32%) and health care (31%) should be the most important issue, followed by taxes (13%), the environment (12%), crime (9%) and international issues (5%).

• Health care tops the economy as the number one issue in Saskatchewan/Manitoba (36% versus 33%), Quebec (42% versus 22%), and the Atlantic provinces (42% versus 25%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CMA from 09/24 to 09/26, 2008. This online survey of 1,026 adult Canadians was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Mike Colledge
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(613) 241-5802
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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