Public health in Canada: Evolution, meaning and a new paradigm for respiratory therapy

The primary causes of death in Canada include circulatory disease, cancer and respiratory disease, with an increasing burden of illness from other causes such as obesity and diabetes (1). The impact of res-piratory disease alone is significant, affecting one in five Canadians and leading any other cause of repeat hospitalization in all age groups (2). Canadians who experience the worst health tend to belong to specific subgroups, and are often exposed to similar health risks that can broadly be described to include social, cultural and demographic features (1). As health professionals primarily engaged with improving the res-piratory health of Canadians, respiratory therapists (RTs) work in a wide variety of health-related settings, providing a broad range of ser-vice from acute to community and primary care, to all age groups. As a rapidly evolving profession, there is a need to explore the emerging areas of practice in the discipline. As part of this exploration, some reflection on whether respiratory therapy is effectively responding t