Abstract
The Canadian healthcare system serves as an example of equity and federal service to citizens across the world. However, it is not without its challenges. Prosthetic coverage across Canada is highly variable and largely unable to provide equal coverage for Canadian persons living with amputation. Many persons with limb loss are forced to rely upon personal resources, fundraising, or the charity of non-governmental organizations in order to meet this basic healthcare need. This disparity in the Canadian healthcare system is unusual and largely undescribed in the literature. We thus explore the nature of Canadian healthcare prosthetic coverage across Canada, investigating the variability in coverage, presence of prosthetic coverage policies, clarity of policy, eligibility criteria, and interval of prosthetic replacement. Our findings highlight potential areas for improvement within current Canadian healthcare policy.
Highlights
Following loss of a limb, proper prosthetic treatment allows patients to perform activities of daily living and improves general health and wellness.[1]
Information was first gathered through communication with relevant stakeholders, such as: government officials involved with Pharmacare or the Ministries of Health; national and provincial representatives for persons with limb loss identified through conversation with the War Amputations of Canada; organizational leaders, such as the president of persons with limb loss associations; and prosthetists and physiatry specialists in amputation rehabilitation care, identified by communication with the aforementioned stakeholders
Funding for prosthetic devices at the provincial level should be updated and equalized across provinces to reflect the realities in the cost of prosthetic care and services
Summary
Following loss of a limb, proper prosthetic treatment allows patients to perform activities of daily living and improves general health and wellness.[1] improper prosthetic care can lead to serious long-term complications and comorbidities including increased risk of falls, pain, and significant musculoskeletal and dermatological complications.[2] Patients who lack access to prosthetic care entirely may become sedentary, exacerbating many comorbidities that are common in this population such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.[3]. The average age-adjusted incidence of lower limb amputation in Canada was reported as 22.9 per 100,000 individuals, increasing over the years 2006-2011.4 According to estimates by the War Amputations of Canada, approximately 50,000 Canadians are living with limb loss.[5] Amputation occurs due to a variety of causes, including complications of diabetes, vascular disease, infection, cancer, trauma, and congenital disorders.[6] Regardless of the cause, patients living with amputation experience a loss in their daily functioning and face lifelong physical and emotional challenges. It is crucial to provide the optimal prosthesis for the patient
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