Patients are at the heart of our work as health care professionals regardless of our role. Preparing our students and trainees to deliver effective care to individuals in need it is our core aim, and yet patients have not always been put at the centre of our health care system.
That is changing, thanks in part to our academic leaders engaged in the development of new models of care through their efforts in research and education embedded in clinical practice. We know that when patients are empowered to support their own health care a more effective health care system evolves.
The next issue of our award-winning U of T Medicine Magazine, which we will publish next week, is dedicated to the theme of patient-centred care and the interdisciplinary teams that deliver it best. The issue describes how we are integrating health care education and delivering better support to the people we serve. You will read how U of T Medicine is developing a new model of interprofessional education to put patients first. You will learn about on-the-ground practitioners experimenting with new models of care delivery, such as the Virtual Ward. You will also hear how the newly established Centre for Integrative Medicine is finding ways to bring together conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies through rigorous scientific evaluation. Most importantly, you will see how seriously U of T Medicine takes our commitment to delivering patient-engaged care.
This work is even more important now. In an unprecedented step, the Premier of Ontario has publicly released the mandate letters that outline each minister’s priorities. Addressing Dr. Eric Hoskins, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Premier Kathleen Wynne wrote that he should ensure “…the needs of Ontario’s patients are at the centre of the system.” She told him that the ministry should champion “…the delivery of quality co-ordinated care to patients by making the best use of the skills and capacity of all our health care providers, hospitals, community clinics and organizations, long-term care homes and others. You will take the lead in ensuring that changes are informed by evidence — and that Ontario’s precious health care dollars improve quality of care and health outcomes for patients and families.”
Because we have led the way in developing new models of patient-centred care, our Faculty, along with the other health sciences at U of T and our affiliated academic hospitals, is well-positioned to help this government reach its objectives. Working together, we can help create a stronger health care system, informed by evidence derived from our research and carried forward by health care professionals trained through our interprofessional education programs.
Catharine Whiteside
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice-Provost, Relations with Health Care Institutions
