I observed (seems like 10 years ago when Parfrey was on with Debbie Cooper, CBC Here and Now) that Parfrey did not know the difference between an MRI and A CT scan machine (or diliberately intended mislead the public and the media). And he a kidney specialist.
He stated that generally this: "an MRI has a lot of radiation associated with it and being used too much by doctors and that CT scans were better to be done"
Hello .....Pat, anyone home?
An MRI uses magnetic fields and has zero radiation, where as CT scans use a lot of radiation, one CT scan can be equal to hundreds of X rays as to effective radiation received on the body, and often the scan is done twice during one scan, both without and with contrast agents, for to obtain good images.
A few months after than, I was getting a scan, and I mentioned about Parfrey's statements on TV, to the technician, if she had heard them. She replied " We all know about that, what he said, we were all horrified ".
Now he is CEO!!!
Say if ain't so Joe.
The arse is right out of her , hey b'y.
Now 7 years ago that I realised out health car system was really in crisis, when my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer....... then one sees the system up close and the serious things what they dismiss as just "cracks in the system".
Great piece Ed, and timely.
Great data from the study, another indicator or being worst or near worse in the country, and this place run by a doctor.
Only thing worse maybe is the US military now being run by Hegseth, as to unqualified. !
read the study. It's eye-opening even if it is very high level. Granular detail per province would be more frightening.
That sort of thinking (coupled with some bone-headed bureaucratic thinking in silos) is why MRIs are currently rationed as severely as they are. MRI can be used more efficiently to diagnose earlier if deployed correctly. By efficient I mean diagnose is earlier, treatment starts earlier, knock-problems avoided etc. So, the triaging system currently used by NLHS actually *increases* costs and is inefficient.
Same thing happens with access to specialists. An outstanding system that empowered family docs to manage cases on the front line has been gutted by the bureaucracy because it rations access in a blinkered effort to control costs. The result is higher cost (two systems instead of one for accessing specialists) and all the knock-on costs of delays etc etc.
I saw this same thing with drug plan managers 20 years ago who would restrict access to expensive drugs because they were expensive even though they reduced overall costs, improved health, quality of life etc. Best example was early migraine treatments. expensive per pill but the medication meant fewer lost workdays, better life quality, mental health etc that actually increased productivity and reduced other costs on the drug or health plan.
Parfrey is so not the right guy for this job. The Health Accord is so the completely wrong-headed way to go. Nova Scotia is doing far better with far less of the dog and pony shows and more of the delivery of actual changes that fundamentally improve things. And it's across the board, including legislation. They are literally years ahead of us.
A small correction: that Technician, I recall said " we were all mortified" meaning shamed and embarrassed .
About that time onward they prevented all GPs from requisitioning MRIs and since then must be only from a specialist, which can take a year or more to see.
MRIs and CT and PET all have their advantages for certain conditions, guess they felt maybe GP didn't understand it enough or else there is a lack of MRI availability.........but now you almost need a letter from God to get an MRI, even if it is most suitable for that condition.
We have excellent surgeons here if you can access them. I had to take my wife to Houston Texas and to Halifax for 2 of her 6 surgeries. The 4 done here, the surgeons were great. But yes, other provinces and other countries listed in the study so far better as to getting access etc and overall good outcomes.
Definitely Poor Management and poor organisation here , and getting worse.
I observed (seems like 10 years ago when Parfrey was on with Debbie Cooper, CBC Here and Now) that Parfrey did not know the difference between an MRI and A CT scan machine (or diliberately intended mislead the public and the media). And he a kidney specialist.
He stated that generally this: "an MRI has a lot of radiation associated with it and being used too much by doctors and that CT scans were better to be done"
Hello .....Pat, anyone home?
An MRI uses magnetic fields and has zero radiation, where as CT scans use a lot of radiation, one CT scan can be equal to hundreds of X rays as to effective radiation received on the body, and often the scan is done twice during one scan, both without and with contrast agents, for to obtain good images.
A few months after than, I was getting a scan, and I mentioned about Parfrey's statements on TV, to the technician, if she had heard them. She replied " We all know about that, what he said, we were all horrified ".
Now he is CEO!!!
Say if ain't so Joe.
The arse is right out of her , hey b'y.
Now 7 years ago that I realised out health car system was really in crisis, when my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer....... then one sees the system up close and the serious things what they dismiss as just "cracks in the system".
Great piece Ed, and timely.
Great data from the study, another indicator or being worst or near worse in the country, and this place run by a doctor.
Only thing worse maybe is the US military now being run by Hegseth, as to unqualified. !
read the study. It's eye-opening even if it is very high level. Granular detail per province would be more frightening.
That sort of thinking (coupled with some bone-headed bureaucratic thinking in silos) is why MRIs are currently rationed as severely as they are. MRI can be used more efficiently to diagnose earlier if deployed correctly. By efficient I mean diagnose is earlier, treatment starts earlier, knock-problems avoided etc. So, the triaging system currently used by NLHS actually *increases* costs and is inefficient.
Same thing happens with access to specialists. An outstanding system that empowered family docs to manage cases on the front line has been gutted by the bureaucracy because it rations access in a blinkered effort to control costs. The result is higher cost (two systems instead of one for accessing specialists) and all the knock-on costs of delays etc etc.
I saw this same thing with drug plan managers 20 years ago who would restrict access to expensive drugs because they were expensive even though they reduced overall costs, improved health, quality of life etc. Best example was early migraine treatments. expensive per pill but the medication meant fewer lost workdays, better life quality, mental health etc that actually increased productivity and reduced other costs on the drug or health plan.
Parfrey is so not the right guy for this job. The Health Accord is so the completely wrong-headed way to go. Nova Scotia is doing far better with far less of the dog and pony shows and more of the delivery of actual changes that fundamentally improve things. And it's across the board, including legislation. They are literally years ahead of us.
A small correction: that Technician, I recall said " we were all mortified" meaning shamed and embarrassed .
About that time onward they prevented all GPs from requisitioning MRIs and since then must be only from a specialist, which can take a year or more to see.
MRIs and CT and PET all have their advantages for certain conditions, guess they felt maybe GP didn't understand it enough or else there is a lack of MRI availability.........but now you almost need a letter from God to get an MRI, even if it is most suitable for that condition.
We have excellent surgeons here if you can access them. I had to take my wife to Houston Texas and to Halifax for 2 of her 6 surgeries. The 4 done here, the surgeons were great. But yes, other provinces and other countries listed in the study so far better as to getting access etc and overall good outcomes.
Definitely Poor Management and poor organisation here , and getting worse.