Alberta Consumers' Association Investigative Reports

An important part of the work that we do results in reports. A number of these have been included here. These files are in PDF format and can be read using the Adobe Reader which can be obtained free of charge from their website.

Taking Stock (1996) An easy to read 36 page report on how healthcare costs were shifted to individuals, families, and employer sponsored benefit plans as care moved out of hospitals during the early 1990s. Many "real person" examples.
The Consumer Experience with Cataract Surgery and Private Clinics in Alberta: Canada's Canary in the Mine Shaft (2000) Will more reliance on private healthcare facilities, private insurance options, and people paying out of pocket for procedures shorten waiting lists, reduce costs and make costs and quality of care more sustainable? This in-depth 100 page report delves into Alberta's 30 year history of proliferating private surgery clinics to find answers. It documents how the growth of private surgical clinics and private payment options affected the price and wait for cataract patients and the very nature of our healthcare system today.
Eldercare - On the Auction Block (2002) Confused and bewildered by terms such as "Assisted Living" and "Aging in Place"? Read this 36 page report to understand the new language and realities facing baby-boomers and their children.
Jumping on the Alberta Bandwagon (2002) Shorter version of Eldercare Report written for a BC audience.
Report, Privacy and Health Information (2002) A report based on focus groups with Canadians on secondary uses of personal health information. This included an Alberta focus group session conducted by the Alberta Consumers' Association.
Consumer Representatives - Linking Them to Consumers (2003) A revealing look at the challenges facing consumer groups today and the changing definition of "public" or "consumer" representation in public policy making.
Who's Minding the Store? Emerging Consumer Issues in New Private Medical Markets Over the past decade, more and more Canadians have been choosing to undergo laser eye surgery, an invasive, discretionary medical procedure, as an alternative to wearing contact lenses or glasses. Media coverage of life changing outcomes, both good and bad, has been extensive, adding to a polarized debate between service providers, who argue there is little risk when the surgery is done correctly and consumer advocates, who argue that the risks are being whitewashed. This debate, while worthy of study in and of itself, given that approximately one half of Canadians will need some sort of visual aid during their lives, is of even greater importance as a test case of the implications of greater privatization and commercialization of medical services in Canada. What lessons can be learned from ten years of experience in this sector?

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Alberta Consumers' Association Investigative Reports

Taking Stock (1996) An easy to read 36 page report on how healthcare costs were shifted to individuals, families, and employer sponsored benefit plans as care moved out of hospitals during the early 1990s. Many "real person" examples.

Eldercare - On the Auction Block (2002) Confused and bewildered by terms such as "Assisted Living" and "Aging in Place"? Read this 36 page report to understand the new language and realities facing baby-boomers and their children.

Jumping on the Alberta Bandwagon (2002) Shorter version of Eldercare Report written for a BC audience.

Report, Privacy and Health Information (2002) A report based on focus groups with Canadians on secondary uses of personal health information. This included an Alberta focus group session conducted by the Alberta Consumers' Association.

Consumer Representatives - Linking Them to Consumers (2003) A revealing look at the challenges facing consumer groups today and the changing definition of "public" or "consumer" representation in public policy making.