The Santis—Nanos Canadian Health Perspective is a national public opinion survey tracking Canadian attitudes and sentiment on health care delivery, priorities, and system innovation, powered by Nanos Research and Santis Health. The inaugural survey is the first in a series looking at Canadians’ experience in health care, their priorities, and desire for improvement and innovation.
Worried and frustrated by the status quo, the data shows Canadians are ready and willing to change. This mandate is a wake-up call and gives permission for decision-makers to move faster and further to innovate and do things differently. The system and governments now have a license from Canadians to lead it.
Topline Results:
Canadians are at a tipping point and have lost their confidence.
91%
91% of Canadians agree it is important for the system to change now, a view held across all demographics and geographical regions.
70%
This demand is driven by discontent, with 70% of Canadians reporting they feel "worried" or "frustrated" by the current state of care.
55%
Canadians have lost their confidence in the health system, with 55% reporting that the health care system is moving in the wrong direction.
26%
Long waits are the defining failure of the system according to Canadians (26%), cited more often than any other concern.
Santis Webinar
Unpacking the Inaugural Canadian Health Perspective Research
Join renowned medical journalist Avis Favaro, Santis Health Managing Partner Patrick Nelson, and Nanos Research Chief Data Scientist and Founder Nik Nanos for an in-depth analysis on the report findings. Now also available to watch or listen as a podcast.
Expert Panel
The Innovation Mandate:
To improve access, we need to protect our publicly-funded system while striking a balance with new approaches to care delivery and the meaningful integration of innovation. Canadians are looking for change that leads to improvement, disrupting the status quo in a tangible and impactful way.
Appetite among Canadians for virtual ways to deliver and automate care is growing, as is the desire to own their own health data
67%
The majority of Canadians (67%) are either “open” or “somewhat open” to having health care providers use AI to assist with diagnosis, treatment plans and to help keep up with changing information.
81%
Nearly 81% of Canadians are either “open” or “somewhat open” to modernizing care delivery through expanded virtual care and digital tools.
82%
82% of Canadians would like to access a secure “digital health wallet” that they own and control, allowing them to instantly share their full medical history with any doctor or hospital of their choice.
Shifting perspectives on Primary Care
95%
95% are “open” or "somewhat open" to receiving routine care and prescriptions from qualified professionals other than doctors, such as pharmacists and nurse practitioners.
82%
In order to see more patients, the majority of Canadians across all demographic groups agree to some extent (82% either “open" or “somewhat open”) that government rules need to be updated to allow family doctors to be paid for care delivered by their team.
Solutions to wait times reveal openness to private delivery
70%
About 7 in 10 Canadians believe the best approach to improve health care in Canada involves at least a role for private care.
60%
Meanwhile, 60% of Canadians would be “open” or “somewhat open” to private organizations delivering publicly-funded surgeries and diagnostic tests.
Canadians do not want to wait for new drugs, and they’re willing to pay
72%
The data shows overwhelming support to pay for life-saving medications if it means they can get them sooner. 72% of Canadians prefer that the government ensures access to new life-saving medications at the exact same time as other major countries—even if it means the government has to pay higher prices.
Methodology: Nanos Research conducted an RDD dual-frame (land- and cell-line) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,003 Canadians (18+) from May 3 to 6, 2026. The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information to be geographically representative of Canada. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. This study was commissioned by Santis Health. Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Driving Meaningful Change
The initiative combines Santis Health’s deep sector expertise and strategic advisory services with Nanos Research’s gold-standard public opinion methodology. Together, we reveal critical evidence gaps in the Canadian health care system that need to be addressed today.
As a trusted advisor to health care leaders across the country, we partner with those bold enough to transform the health system. When there are new concerns and critical gaps facing our health system, Santis is ready to be part of real change because we believe in the same things our clients do: better outcomes, better access, and better health for all of us.