Nova Scotia

Katherine Fierlbeck is the McCulloch Professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University, with a cross-appointment as professor of Community Health and Epidemiology.

• List of Figures, Tables, and BoxesSeries Editor’s ForewordPreface and AcknowledgmentsList of Acronym1 Introduction and Overview1.1 Geography and sociodemography1.2 Political context1.3 Economic context1.4 Health status of the population1.5 Summary2 Organization and Regulation2.1 Overview and history2.2 Organization of the provincial health system2.2.1 The Nova Scotia Health Authority2.2.2 Contractors (private not-for-profit)2.2.3 Contractors (private for-profit)2.3 Health system planning2.4 Coverage and benefits2.4.1 Eligibility for publicly insured benefits2.4.2 Benefits (universal)2.4.3 Targeted benefits for nonmedical services2.5 Regulation2.5.1 Providers2.5.2 Facilities2.5.3 Prescription drugs2.5.4 Patient health information2.6 Patients2.7 Summary3 Health Spending and Financing3.1 Health expenditure and trends3.2 Public revenue3.3 Public financing flows3.4 Summary4 Physical Infrastructure4.1 Hospitals and other treatment facilities4.2 Long-term care facilities4.3 Diagnostic facilities4.3.1 Laboratory services4.3.2 Diagnostic imaging4.4 Public health facilities4.5 Information and communications technology infrastructure4.5.1 Core electronic information systems4.5.2 Specialized electronic information systems4.6 Research and evaluation infrastructure4.7 Summary5 Health Human Resources5.1 Main workforce challenges5.2 Physicians5.3 Nurses5.4 Other health care professionals5.4.1 Paramedics5.4.2 Pharmacists5.4.3 Midwives5.4.4 Medical laboratory technologists5.4.5 Clinical assistants5.4.6 Home care workers5.5 HHR planning in Nova Scotia5.6 Summary6 Service and Program Provision6.1 Public health6.2 Primary care6.3 Acute care6.4 Long-term care6.5 Prescription drugs6.6 Workers’ Compensation Board programs6.7 Mental health care6.8 Dental health care6.9 Targeted services6.9.1 First Nations6.9.2 African Nova Scotians6.9.3 Acadian Nova Scotians6.10 Palliative care6.11 Assisted reproduction6.12 Summary7 Recent Health Reforms7.1 The consolidation of district health authorities and the creation of the Nova Scotia Health Authority7.2 The reorganization of the Department of Health and Wellness7.3 Summary8 Assessment of the Health System8.1 The province’s strategic goals8.1.1 Resource stewardship8.1.2 Health of the population8.1.3 Appropriate, good-quality care8.1.4 Health system workforce8.2 Equity in financing the health care system8.3 Equity of access8.4 Outcomes8.4.1 Comparative outcomes8.4.2 Chronological outcomes8.4.3 Measuring and evaluating outcomes8.4.4 User experience and satisfaction8.5 Efficiency8.6 Transparency and accountability8.7 Summary9 ConclusionAppendix: Laws on Health and Health Care in Nova ScotiaReferencesIndex