Canada´s healthcare sustainability: A holistic perspective on emerging challenges

Continued debate on privatization initiatives within the Canadian healthcare system has brought much-needed attention to sustainability issues and the emerging challenges faced by this domain. Predicaments that deal exclusively with public or private health service challenges should not derail healthcare sustainability efforts. Applying an appropriate framework is fundamental for ensuring the success of healthcare sustainability initiatives. Such a framework would not only allow better understanding of sustainability related challenges, but would also pave the way for the deployment of manageable solutions. This paper highlights such challenges and, through the use of a conceptual framework, provides a holistic perspective on how the core components of sustainability can be properly employed in healthcare. The primary objective of a successful healthcare system improvement is not merely to justify the current rate of spending, but to take into account the various aspects of sustainability. The discussion also highlights how sustainability can be leveraged to solve challenges that have a greater consequence, namely, a long-term impact on healthcare.