Nova Scotia - COPD Provincial Report Card Rating -    D-  (an overall mark of 51)

Note: The information contained herein (by province and Canada as a whole), has been extracted from the Canadian Lung Association's, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD):  a "National Report Card, 2005." 

Public Awareness & Attitudes:

• Provincial Awareness - 59%
• Unsympathetic towards smokers -28% (i.e. they get what they deserve)
• 97% believe COPDer's should have access to the best medications

Physician Awareness, Attitudes, Familiarity with CTS (Canadian Thoracic Society) Treatment Guidelines

• 75% of physicians  feel comfortable managing COPD
• 75% say they're very knowledgeable about the disease symptoms
• % of Dr's acknowledging  discrimination towards smokers with respect to quality of care  - 25%
•  patients who said  their quality of health care was less because they were, or had been, smokers - no report
• 85% of the Dr's were familiar with CTS guidelines

Access to and Use of Spirometry

• 70% of the physicians acknowledged access to spirometry testing
• 10% of the physicians have used spirometry to diagnose COPD
• 10% of physicians are comfortable interpreting the results.

Physician Prescribing Habits & Access to COPD Medications

• 45% of physicians reported they follow the CTS guidelines most of the time
• 10% follow them all of the time
• 95% of Dr's  are unable to prescribe the best (latest) medications due to current reimbursement restrictions.   

              WHY?   Have you ever asked your MP or Provincial Health Minister?

Taken from Health Canada's Web Site....."The federal government provides funding through cash and tax transfers to the provinces and territories to help pay for health care services, but the actual delivery of services is a provincial/territorial responsibility. "

Your Health Minister is: Hon. Karen Casey (newly appointed Jan/09)

                                             4th Floor, Joseph Howe Building  

                                             P.O. Box 488 

                                             1690 Hollis Street Halifax, Nova Scotia  

                                             B3J 2R8

                                             karencasey@ns.aliantzinc.ca

Find Your MP now

Note:  Click here to view the Lung Association's FULL report card

This page was last updated January 9th, 2010