Primary care

Lives can absolutely be saved: Alberta doctor creates online patient referral system

Denis Vincent received a $50,000 grant from the Canadian Medical Association to market the software. Dr. Vincent has rolled out a new computer system in 35 medical clinics, where doctors can refer patients to specialists quickly while … READ MORE

Dr. Peter Nieman: Reflecting on 30 years as a pediatrician in Calgary

This month marks three decades for me in a community-based pediatric clinic. The location of the clinic has remained the same, but the nature of this amazing occupation has evolved in surprising ways. The saying of “the more things … READ MORE

7-year-old’s mystery illness baffles specialists

Gracie Lee Straus loves taking photographs of people and turning them into jigsaw puzzles on her iPad — from her friends and teachers to her doctors, nurses and therapists. She loves puzzles, even the old-fashioned, hands-on ones. … READ MORE

4 reasons patients value reading clinician notes

Many patients whose providers adopt OpenNotes — a project in which providers share medical notes with their patients — report the option is helpful, according to recent research out of Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical … READ MORE

How much does the ‘average’ Canadian pay for public health care?

About $5,789 per year — but it depends on what you think ‘average’ means. What you’ll have more trouble doing is deciding whether that spending represents a good value. National Post, Postmedia Richard Warnica, … READ MORE

An app a day keeps the doctor away

Healthcare is poised for an upheaval, with the arrival of artificially intelligent health apps that could replace visits to the doctor. Smartening up medicine. Your.MD By Douglas Heaven, New Scientist 19 July 2017 Stiff neck, … READ MORE

NHS holds on to top spot in healthcare survey

The NHS has been judged the best, safest and most affordable healthcare system out of 11 countries analysed and ranked by experts from the influential Commonwealth Fund health think tank. ‘Don’t tell me NHS workers aren’t … READ MORE

Just a really happy baby

Isaac Heroux and his mom Julia Heroux at Isaac’s Walk, the first Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario Spirit Wheel Walk Run at Lemoine’s Point Conservation Area in Kingston, Ont. on Sunday June 26, 2016. … READ MORE

Cerebral palsy children are happy

Children with cerebral palsy are just as happy as children without the condition, a study has shown. Their physical impairment does not have a negative effect on their relationships, moods or welfare, researchers report in The Lancet. … READ MORE

What AI-enhanced healthcare could look like in 5 years

This summer, KPCB partner Mary Meeker’s 2017 Internet Trends report singled out healthcare as a sector ripe with opportunity. The report proposed that the healthcare market, driven by a number of converging technologies, is … READ MORE

The medical profession’s digital revolution is here

The health care sector is facing a far-reaching and unpredictable revolution. Smartphones are capable of replacing many devices that have become standard in medical practices and some apps will soon be able to provide diagnoses as … READ MORE

The pace and scope of ‘patient centricity’ is too slow and narrow

The phrase “patient centricity” makes us all feel good. Health professionals adopt the term regularly, spend more time with patients, express more concern, and try to push the policy envelope just that little bit further. Thank … READ MORE

Care for chronically ill children may suffer when parents and doctors are at odds

Holly remembers the day doctors diagnosed her son with cerebral palsy and told her he would need life-long care. “It changes everything,” she shared in an interview with Katherine Rafferty, a lecturer in psychology and … READ MORE

Online doctor consultations take off in Canada

Questions raised over quality of consultations and universality principle. Virtual medical services that connect family physicians and patients with minor illnesses and injuries are popping up online in Canada, leading to questions … READ MORE

Why doctors hate electronic records — and what could change that

The health care industrial complex has spent billions of dollars and untold amounts of time trying to make medical records as flexible, invisible and unobtrusive as possible for patients and clinicians alike. Dr. R. Adams Dudley, who … READ MORE

Clinical decision support—being worried is nothing to worry about

Many years ago I worked with a doctor who would disappear for a few moments at important decision points in clinical care. Sometimes this was during ward rounds and sometimes on call. He was an excellent doctor—the momentary … READ MORE

Bonjour-santé service asks court to stop health ministry audit

RAMQ investigating whether for-fee appointment booking service is against the law. An online service that finds clients a medical appointment within 48 hours for a fee has turned to Québec Superior Court to stop an audit by … READ MORE

Alberta’s health system needs overhaul, auditor general says

Auditor general Merwan Saher wants the health-care system to make a ‘quantum leap’. Patients’ health information should flow to all of that person’s care providers, auditor general Merwan Saher says in his … READ MORE

Digitizing medicine is killing the profession

While you may think electronic medical records could only improve health care, health researcher Conrad Amenta says think twice. He says the increased workload that comes with EMRs is leading to doctor burnout – and even higher … READ MORE

Could ‘curbside consultations’ go digital?

It was once commonplace for primary care physicians to seek informal guidance from specialists regarding a patient’s care during a “curbside consultation.” This phrase, still in use today, is said to have come about … READ MORE

Bloorview School program for kids with disabilities suspended

School’s board says no able-bodied children enrolled in integrated program. Parents upset. The board of a Toronto private school with a one-of-a-kind kindergarten class that integrates students with disabilities and able-bodied … READ MORE

Young athletes with previous knee injury had higher risk of OA

Young athletes who previously sustained an intra-articular knee injury had a higher risk of structural changes associated with future osteoarthritis, according to results presented at the Osteoarthritis Research Society International … READ MORE

Long wait times defy quick fixes

The solution is really system wide. About a decade ago, it seemed obvious that Canada was going to need a lot more orthopedic surgeons to replace more hips, knees and other joints, in part due to our aging population. To prepare to … READ MORE

Read this before you get your knee replaced

More than sixty thousand Canadians per year, and climbing, get knee replacement surgery. A U.S study published last week in the British Medical Journal finds that a good number of patients south of the border may be getting new knees … READ MORE

New kind of house call comes to The Woodlands

Sarah Rhea was out of town on a weekend business trip when her husband called, worried that their 4-year-old son’s fever, sore throat and cough were worse than the day before. Diagnosing ear infections with a new smartphone … READ MORE

Paid consultants help patients navigate Canada’s Byzantine health-care system

Andrée Colella had been in and out of hospital for months with bladder and bone infections when her husband, Tom, broke down and asked for help from an unconventional source: a private health-care advocate. Patient navigator, Jana … READ MORE

The rise of the private patient advocate

After bouncing around doctors’ offices in an effort to treat her debilitating back pain, Maureen had become discouraged with the lack of progress. She had seen multiple specialists yet nothing seemed to provide relief, and she began … READ MORE

Doctor-Patient communication, a thorny challenge

Many veteran doctors have probably been there: You sit your patient down and explain their diagnosis. You walk them through how to take their medication. They nod and promise that they don’t have any questions. Next visit, you … READ MORE

Anatomy of a referral: Why wait times for specialists are still too long

Nancy is “beyond frustrated” with how long her family has had to wait to see specialists. She has been waiting 16 months to see a rheumatologist, and has been told there’s a two-year wait to a pain management centre to help with … READ MORE

Shared doctor-patient orthopaedic treatment decisions improve outcomes, patient experience

Well-informed patients who decide with their orthopaedic surgeon what treatment is best for them have better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction rates, according to new study presented today at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the … READ MORE

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