BACKGROUNDER
2007HEALTH0146-001545 Nov. 30, 2007	Ministry of Health
THE CONVERSATION ON HEALTH – HOW IT WORKED

The Conversation on Health was established to engage British Columbians in a discussion about the future of their public health system. The Conversation engaged British Columbians in three different ways, through:

• public forums and other methods of providing feedback;
• input from health professionals and patients; and
• contributions from experts in the health-care field worldwide.

 

Public Input

 

All-day public forums were held in 16 communities across the province between February and July 2007. Each forum held up to 100 participants and, in areas where registration exceeded this number, names were drawn using a random computerized selection process.

 

Participants set the agenda, with every participant having the opportunity to discuss and record what they came to say about health and health care, as well as contribute their ideas to other topics.

Patient focus groups were also held, and patients and families shared their experiences within the health-care system, giving the benefit of their insight. In addition, meetings were held with high-school students and in four Aboriginal communities.

 

Beyond public meetings, as many other methods as possible were used to seek input from British Columbians, including a toll-free phone line, an e-mail address, a website, and a mailing address.

 

Health Professionals

 

Government wanted to benefit from the experiences of those who work in the health system, so separate workshops with health professionals were held in the 16 communities that held public forums. Many health professionals noted that this was their first experience talking about health system challenges and solutions with members of other health professions.

 

Health Innovation

 

Input from health experts contributed towards understanding innovative solutions and ideas that have been successful in other health-care settings around the world and to considering those ideas and their application to B.C.’s public health-care system.

 

There were two main activities: a series of focused workshops on specific topics such as planning, producing and managing for health human resources and an International Symposium on Health Innovation. The symposium brought together close to 150 policy makers and health experts who shared experiences that may be helpful in response to British Columbia’s needs and pressures in health care.

 

 

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Media contact:	Marisa Adair Communications Director Ministry of Health 250 952-8500 (cell) 250 952-1889 (office)
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.