Health Infrastructure

Disability and poverty: Funding and structure of new federal benefit unacceptable

The amount being offered to some people with disabilities, $200 per month, is a drop in the bucket in a time of high inflation, rising rents and significant added costs to living with a disability.

‘Nurses are not a commodity. We are human’: Kari, registered nurse, Toronto

‘You just go to the bathroom and cry it out’: Paula, licensed practical nurse, Red Deer

‘This used to be a job that could sustain you … it’s not anymore’: Kris Vickberg, porter, Vancouver

‘We shouldn’t have to work 2 or 3 jobs to survive’: Lisa Allen, personal care attendant, St. John

‘Choosing to a job that pays less, because you enjoy it, only goes so far’: Vanessa, family doctor, Winnipeg

‘These are absolutely the most vulnerable workers’: Charlotte, continuing care assistant, Saskatoon

Soaring workloads, stress leave health-care system on brink of collapse

May 1 is Doctors’ Day. My thanks go to patients, students and physician colleagues

Doctors’ Day (May 1) is really about all those in medicine working together to make our health-care system better for all. We just need politicians and policy makers to step out of the way.

The toxic standards that have shaped coverage of drug use in Canada

While a health crisis has unfolded, newsrooms have had to learn to do better. But the changes in framing haven’t always come fast enough or extended to the workers with lived experience

How to make the most of your virtual mental health care appointment

With profound shifts in how mental health care is delivered, and a clear interest in the continued use of virtual care, a few simple recommendations can help everyone have a better experience in our “new normal.”

Droplet or airborne? WHO says it’s ‘through the air’ 

The WHO is slowly moving forward on airborne transmission. But language changes seem forced, unnecessary and only seem to benefit those who were unable to use the word "airborne" early in the pandemic.

Is triage a dead end for health care? 

Under pressure, our health-care system is increasingly turning to triage. But has this ubiquitous response started causing more harm than good?

If not you, who will make your medical decisions?

Imagine finding yourself in a medical emergency, unconscious and unable to communicate. Who then becomes your voice in this complex web of health-care decisions?

Cycling and safer roads: Improving public health through urban planning

Urban infrastructure has a significant impact on road incident fatalities. Health-care institutions have the ability to help curtail these deaths and improve public health.

Why every Canadian hospital should be a ‘research’ hospital

By embedding research into clinical practice we can achieve a “learning health system” and advance quality health care for all Canadians.

Medical libraries are essential. So why are we imposing cuts on them?

Health-care providers should be spending their time treating patients, not hunting for resources. Medical libraries and their staff are essential for supporting their work.

Patient partners add value to health research

Involving patients and caregivers in research can make research more relevant. So, how can patients and caregivers partner on a project?

Leading with the good news in family medicine

Do we want to lead with the good news or the bad news? The tug-of-war about the narrative in family medicine is hurting us.

Accessing pregnancy care in Canada: Family physicians as part of the solution

Government and policymakers have yet to make unified efforts to address the inequity in perinatal care across Canada.