Introduction to Health Occupations in Canada

Overview

This course addresses the historical evolution of different health occupations, the health care division of labour, scopes of practice, and the education, regulatory, funding and practice environments of the different health occupations in Canada.

Learning Outcomes

Through twelve modules, learners will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the historical evolution of different health occupations, the health care division of labour, scopes of practice (roles/responsibilities/guidelines), and the education, regulatory, funding and practice environments of the different health occupations and professions in Canada and internationally
• Demonstrate knowledge of the demographic and practice characteristics of various health occupational groups over time and the influence of these trends on health systems’ capacity to meet population health needs
• Evaluate the existing literature for its validity and applicability to the planning, policy and management practices affecting different health occupations
• Appreciate the health systems’ current and potential utilization of specific health occupations
• Exchange accurate and reliable health workforce information with a range of audiences and stakeholders
• Translate knowledge into action through cogent and evidence-informed arguments

Topic Relevance

The health workforce employs one in ten Canadians and constitutes over 2/3 of health system costs, entailing 8% of Canada’s GDP - or $175 billion - in 2019. Yet beyond doctors and nurses, we lack a basic understanding of the many roles played by a range of health occupations and professions within Ontario and across Canada. This lack of knowledge permeates the health system, leaving health workers themselves and key health system stakeholders with a limited understanding of the education, scope of practice, and models of care of the full range of health occupations engaged in the provision of care.

This course addresses a critical knowledge gap on the current and potential roles played by different health professions in the provision of health care.

This course will confer learners with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to

1. design and deploy innovative, patient-centered and cost-effective models of care, and
2. foster more optimal interprofessional collaboration in the implementation of integrated care.

Audience

• The anticipated target learners that will benefit from this course are existing health professionals wishing to augment their initial training and continuing professional development, and employers, managers and other health leaders aiming to shift to or augment interprofessional models of care.

Cost

Featured Instructors

Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, PhD, is a Professor at the University of Ottawa who leads the Canadian Health Workforce Network and the Healthy Professional Workers initiative. Dr. Bourgeault has garnered an international reputation for her research on the health workforce.

Sessions