Reflecting on Canada’s Approaches to Public Engagement in Health Policy

Over the years, Canada has built a strong tradition of public engagement in the health sector, from Royal Commissions to patient advisory councils. The project critically reflected on this history, exploring whether current engagement strategies were equipped to meet the political, economic, and social challenges highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Key challenges include:

• Unpredictable policy time horizons that may limit opportunities for meaningful engagement.
• Calls for significant additional public investments (e.g., pharmacare, long-term care), as governments struggle to sustain current health care spending levels.
• Requirements (and opportunities) for shifts to digital engagement platforms.
• Highly mobilized and social media savvy citizens, patent and family coalitions – meanwhile, many other voices go unheard.