Table 4 Top ten themes of news articles with example quotes

Access needs to be improved or maintained

103

19.4 %

“…she is fighting to maintain access to the treatment that allows her not only to live, but to take part in a regular exercise program and get some fun out of life.” [30]

Government is letting citizens/residents down

76

14.3 %

“The Lindberg family is now attempting a round of aggressive antibiotics—all of it privately funded as the Alberta health system refuses to acknowledge the diagnosis of Lyme disease, she said.” [31]

Patient needs are priority

71

13.4 %

“Pregnant women and their babies are among those experiencing the worst fallout from Ottawa's decision to scale back funding for refugee health care…” [32]

Inequality in the healthcare system

56

10.6 %

“If the Thepens lived in British Columbia, the treatment cost would have been picked up by the province. Without a universal drug plan, Canadians face a postal-code lottery.” [33]

Healthcare policy must balance access and budget needs

43

8.1 %

“The original lawsuit, brought by 29 families with autistic children, drew a heated rebuke from Mr. McGuinty who said he was concerned by a court ruling that requires a government to spend money it might not have.” [34]

Health expenses are a burden on family, patient

43

8.1 %

“A breast cancer patient has had to take out a line of credit to pay for a $50,000-a-year drug because her tumour—caught through a mammogram – was a smidgen too small to qualify for the medicine.” [35]

Debate, controversy over treatment

33

6.2 %

“Some provinces, such as British Columbia, have also refused to approve [HIFU], saying the data are not strong enough to allow the procedure to be done, even in the private sector. But it is approved and funded in some European countries such as England and Germany.” [36]

Saves money, further health issues in the long-term

29

5.5 %

“This would decrease the future costs on the health-care system caused by multiple births and spare infertile couples the health risks associated with having twins, triplets and quadruplets, said Bouzayen.” [37]

Making necessary drugs/treatment affordable for patients

18

3.4 %

“Hundreds of Ontario cancer patients, including many suffering from the most advanced and deadly versions of the disease, will have access to four costly new cancer drugs to be financed at public expense, the provincial government announced yesterday” [38]

Right to access healthcare in language of choice

16

3.0 %

“An English-speaking Cornwall-area woman intends to complain to the Ontario Human Rights Commission after being refused treatment at a Cornwall francophone health centre.” [39]