College questions clinic's 'executive medicals'

Clients at anEdmonton clinic catering to corporate executives may be queue-jumping by paying cash for services covered by Alberta Health, said the registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

Dominion Health Centres of Canada's clinicin Edmonton offers a bevy of procedures for senior company employees at a cost of $1,050, including a complete physical, blood tests, an electrocardiogram and a CT scan of the arteries.

"If you go to see your family doctor for a history and physical examination, that's an insured medical service," said Dr. Trevor Theman, the registrar of the college.

"My question is, if you're providing that as part of an executive medical, is that any different from what you would get from your family doctor? … Why should the patient be paying privately?"

Theman also questions whether the patients actually need all the tests they receive and if they are told about the risks of procedures such as CT scans.

"There's questions around who's getting this testing [and]what sort of medical assessment is happening to make sure that patients are properly being screened, that they're not being subjected to tests for which there is limited or no evidence of efficacy."

'Employees as human assets'

Darren Poirier,chief executive officer of Dominion Health Centres, declined to comment on the issues related to the registrar's concerns.

Dr. Brian McPeak, one of the founders of the clinic, told the Edmonton Journal that executive exams only constitute 10 per cent of the company's business.

In a booming economy, companies are looking for non-monetary incentives for recruiting and retaining workers, he said.

"Many companies are wisely viewing their employees as human assets to be protected. Some companies see this as a strategic advantage."