Talking about health care is as Canadian a pastime as watching hockey. That’s the argument made by John Lawrence Reynolds in his introduction to Prognosis. A mystery novelist and non-fiction author, Reynolds writes not as an expert within the health care system, but as an admitted outsider to the system that all Canadians have to interact with, whether they like it or not.

Reynolds is careful not to reduce the problems facing the system to a debate between private and public health care. Of course, certain issues cannot be avoided: the inherent problems that arise from the often close ties between hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, the increasing stresses on health care facilities as Baby Boomers age, and, yes, the debate on two-tier care are all are covered here.

But Reynolds also draws attention to concerns that are a little less obvious. He devotes an entire chapter to discussing information technology within the health care system. “Health care arguably is the world’s most information-intensive industry,” he writes. Most of that information – patient medical records, X-rays, lab results, prescriptions, etc. – is kept on paper. As Reynolds sees it, this leads to inefficiencies in delivering care to patients, and can result in complications and even death if the records aren’t transferred correctly between health care providers.

Within each of these larger aspects of health care in Canada, Reynolds makes use of provocative and compelling case studies and anecdotes to demonstrate the existing problems. His research is well documented and far-ranging – Prognosis is filled with voices from across the spectrum of Canadian health care. Doctors, patients, and private health care providers from across the country all have their say.