[Ip-health] Patient Declaration

[Wayne Taylor]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
I was quite surprised to see my name in an Essential Information release th=
e other day.  Until very recently I had never heard of them, and they have =
never contacted me for permission to print my name.



Yes, I am a proud member of the Board of Directors of the Asthma Society of=
 Canada (ASC) nearing the end of my term of service.  By day I am the Direc=
tor of the Health Leadership Institute at McMaster University where I am a =
tenured professor of health services.  The ASC is Canada's voice for the pa=
tient with asthma, COPD and allergies.  The ASC created the Asthma Patient'=
s Bill of Rights - which is all about living well with asthma including tim=
ely access to treatments (which is a huge problem in Canada's socialized he=
althcare system.)  At the IAPO Congress (International Alliance of Patient =
Organizations) this year, where I presented a paper on patient-centred care=
 for asthma, I willingly signed the Patient Declaration.  I am proud of our=
 work with patients in Canada.



In an ideal world the ASC would have a $3 million budget.  For years we hav=
e fallen short of that and without the unconditional support of industry (a=
nd not just pharmaceutical firms) we would be in a crisis.  I welcome Essen=
tial Information, whoever you are, to step up and contribute.  We need your=
 help too.  Asthma is rampant amongst Canadians yet little funding has been=
 allocated to it as a chronic disease by our governments.  The ASC does wha=
t it can to raise awareness about living well with asthma, to educate patie=
nts and providers about best practices in managing their condition, and to =
get asthma onto the politician's health funding agenda.



The fact that the ASC accepts unconditional corporate donations had no bear=
ing on my willingness to sign the Patient Declaration - it was the right th=
ing to do.  To suggest anything else, as Essential Information has, is irre=
sponsible and rubbish



To contribute to the ASC please refer to our website at www.asthma.ca.







D. Wayne Taylor, Ph.D.
--