Table 3 Potential solutions raised by town hall participants

Encourage prevention agenda – through better knowledge dissemination to patients, screening services that travel to rural communities, or teaching youth about healthy eating and physical activity

Government investment in health promotion

Encourage patients to be more involved in their healthcare

Integrate family members into clinical care teams

Educate patients and physicians on how to talk to each other (not at each other)

Patient education on medications and the role of a pharmacist; patient education on the management of chronic conditions

Better use of pharmacists to do regular medication review with patients

Healthcare planning in rural areas of the province, not simply centering all services in the capital city; taking a long-term planning view (e.g., insulin pump rather than ongoing needles)

Appropriate use of acute care hospital beds

Appropriate use of transport (e.g., using a taxi instead of ambulance in non-emergency situations)

Appropriate use of healthcare professional time and expertise (e.g., nursing time is being spent on data entry and paperwork)

Expanding the role of healthcare professionals; some primary care service provision can be provided by nurses, midwives and pharmacists

Extending telehealth to other areas

Extending hours of home care available

Making it easier for patients to physically access healthcare facilities (e.g., better parking needed)

Integrate technology into healthcare (e.g., electronic medical records)

Ask patients about their experiences in an exit interview