CAR representatives gathered in Ottawa on Tuesday, October 20 for the annual Day on the Hill to advocate on behalf of Canadian radiologists and patients accessing imaging.
“Overall, the day was very successful,” recalled President Dr. Alison Harris. “Representatives from the CAR were able to meet with multiple federal officials and stakeholders to highlight the issues facing patients accessing medical imaging and to outline potential solutions.”
The goal was to highlight the downstream impacts of these challenges on the healthcare system, given radiology’s position as the gateway to other aspects of patient care.
“Radiology and diagnostic imaging are the cornerstones of Canada’s healthcare infrastructure,” Dr. Harris said in a press conference on CPAC. “Canadians know this, because most of us have had an x-ray, an ultrasound, or other sort of scan that has helped to explain a health concern.”
CAR delegates directly engaged key decision makers across the highest levels of government, placing our priorities on the radar of those with direct influence over policy and funding. Through focused meetings with leadership in the Prime Minister’s Office, Finance, Health, and Industry – including senior ministers, parliamentary committee members, and parliamentary health advocates – we successfully elevated our issues into the rooms where strategic national decisions are made.
“The recommendations were well-received, and the MPs understood the areas of concern that were discussed, most notable were human health resource shortages, infrastructure needs, lack of system integration and need to implement AI more broadly,” said Dr. Harris. “I am hopeful that the messages delivered in our Day on the Hill meetings will translate into a substantial funding increase for medical imaging in order to address delays for patients waiting for critical tests and procedures.”
Issues at a Glance:
- Framework for Safe Artificial Intelligence Integration
- Eliminate Low-Value Imaging via Clinical Decision Support
- Modernize Canada’s Diagnostic Imaging Fleet
- Invest in the Health Human Resources Pipeline
Read more about the CAR’s priorities in our Submissions to Government.
