Time to Go Big or Go Home: A Reflection on the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation

Canada has a history of innovative pilot projects that have failed to spread and scale to achieve transformative change in the organization and delivery of healthcare. Past experience suggests four essential dimensions of sustainability: funding, including incentives to adopt new working methods and longer-term program funding; strong policy guidance and/or legislation and regulation; sustained focus on addressing a particular problem or issue; and accountability for results. Had the Naylor Panel recommendations been implemented a decade ago, Canada's healthcare system would now be on a much stronger footing to confront today's challenges. The Naylor blueprint offers pertinent, practical solutions for issues such as improving access to primary care, improving digital health and contending with artificial intelligence.