A broad policy perspective

In its policy and research role, the Royal College informs and influences health and public policy; we act as a partner and collaborator with other health system stakeholders to effect positive change for Canada’s health care system. The following are areas in which the Royal College has focused its most recent policy-development and research activities.

Information you can use

The Royal College regularly performs environmental scans of the extensive and complex information available about Canada’s health care system. To find information on key trends affecting our health system, read our latest scan Cutting through the health system information fog.

National Physicians Survey

Every three years, the Royal College, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Canadian Medical Association survey all physicians in Canada, medical residents and students. The data provide meaningful information about the attitudes of Canada’s present and future doctors on a wide range of critical issues. Read more.

Collegial relationships lead to effective collaboration

The Royal College and the College of Family Physicians of Canada have been working to enhance relationships between specialists and family physicians. Their work has led to the creation reports and guides on the issue of collaboration as well as the establishment of the Collaborative Action Committee on Intraprofessionalism.

Creating a Forum for Dialogue and Action

The Royal College-NSS Conference Series provides a forum to foster continued communication and linkage between elected officials and senior staff from the NSS and the Royal College on top of mind issues including human resources for health. 

Human resources for health

Physicians face employment challenges
The Royal College is examining the driving factors that may be contributing to the relatively new phenomenon of specialty medical workforce unemployment or under-employment in Canada. Please read more.

Governments and regulators are adopting new approaches to address labour and medical workforce shortages, including amendments to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). The Royal College has produced a discussion paper analyzing the AIT amendments and their potential implications for the medical workforce and access to quality care.

Knowledge repository

This repository of health human resources and health system issues provides access to journal articles, reports and task forces on the issue of health human resources. Read more.

International Health Workforce Collaborative

This health policy conference brings together policy makers, researchers and practitioners from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia to discuss health workforce issues. The Royal College leads the Canadian portion of this collaborative and hosts the conference’s website.

Private vs. Public: Safeguarding the quality of medical education and the workforce

The College has developed a statement in response to shifts in health care delivery and medical education and training to settings outside the traditional teaching hospital, a reality which may have profound implications on the education of future doctors and access to care. Please read more.

Patient Safety

The Royal College is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards and quality of health care. As such, it supports and contributes to several initiatives that play a key role in advancing patient safety. Please read more.

Quality Improvement

The art and science of high-quality health care: Ten principles that fuel quality improvement, was developed by physicians for physicians. Please read more.

Societal Health Needs

The purpose of the Societal Health Needs definition is to provide common, cohesive and pertinent concepts, definitions and approaches to help ensure greater overall alignment of the Royal College’s, policies, positions, programs and standards, and promote transparency of its decision making to various stakeholders and partners. The accompanying guide is designed to support the application of the definition by the various committees of the Royal College.

Policy archives

Learn about our past policy activities.

For more information, please contact us at: healthpolicy@royalcollege.ca