Opinion
by Larry W. Chambers Madeleine Smith

Let’s invest in helping more seniors stay at home – and stay active

As the percentage of elderly Ontarians keeps increasing, we should spend more of our tax dollars not on care homes, but rather community-based services that will help seniors age at home.

Opinion
by Robyn McClelland

She was jilted at the neurosurgery altar but found true love in pediatrics

A doctor reflects on her passionate romance with neurosurgery, her devastating break up on Match Day, and how she went on to find a soulmate in pediatric intensive care.

Open Letter
by A coalition of civil society organizations and individuals

Groups call on federal parties to commit to removing barriers for internationally trained health professionals

Federal party leaders must address longstanding barriers to the licensing and employment of internationally educated health professionals. Doing so would not only address inequities – it would greatly improve our health-care system.

Opinion
by Iris Kulbatski

‘We are not that great’: Gain-of-function research highlights our hubris

Gain-of-function research entails modifying pathogens in ways that can make them more dangerous. The pandemic shows us what the fallout of such risky research could look like.

Article
by Meghan McGrattan

‘We became more confident’: Pandemic proving value of no-touch abortions

The pandemic accelerated the roll out of telemedicine abortion care. Now, as restrictions on clinical medicine ease, we must consider whether to revert back to in-person assessments, or embrace telemedicine as a new normal.

Article
by Shelby Olesovsky

‘Please don’t blame your child’: For some parents of kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the pandemic has been challenging

For many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the pandemic has been isolating and disorienting. For some of their parents, it has led to burnout. So how can we support these families going forward?

COVID-19's Fourth Wave Raises New Challenges

Article
by Maddi Dellplain

‘It’s not clear yet how it’s going to play out’

With more transmissible variants, like the Delta variant, most experts agree that it's unlikely we'll reach herd immunity. So what might it look like to live in a world where SARS-CoV-2 is endemic, and how do we get there?

Article
by Maddi Dellplain

A call for better data

A country’s ability to sequence genomic data from samples of SARS-CoV-2 could help it respond effectively to potentially more dangerous variants. But in Canada, there are restrictions that impact the quality of information that is being collected.

Article
by Maddi Dellplain

COVID-19 and animal populations

While monitoring new variants of the coronavirus in human populations is top of mind for many, we also need to monitor mutations in animal populations – which could also prove dangerous to humans.

Complex Debate
Posted: Jan 14, 2021

The MAiD Debate

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) has been legal in Canada since June 17, 2016. There was heated debate before legalization and it continues today over expanding MAiD to vulnerable groups, such as youth and those with mental illnesses and disabilities. Because it is not as simple as being for or against, we've organized some compelling arguments that sit on both sides of the spectrum.

Those who support or consider expanding MAiD
VS
Those who oppose or consider limitations on MAiD
Timeline
by Meera Mahendiran

Mental health and MAID: An ongoing challenge

Parliament is looking into offering MAiD to people whose only underlying condition is a mental illness. But this might be premature. After all, shouldn't we first improve mental health care in Canada?

by Ralph Lewis

Depression and MAID: Terminally ill patients are often depressed. But that doesn’t mean they’re incompetent.

Depression biases a person’s outlook, but bias is not the same as mental incompetence. Doctors must balance protecting patients in vulnerable mental states from exercising poor judgment against respecting their autonomy.

See full debate

What You Need to Know About Vaccines

Opinion
by Catharine Chambers

Five reasons why COVID-19 cases are increasing when vaccination rates are going up

Despite high vaccination coverage, COVID-19 cases are increasing in parts of Canada and experts are predicting a fourth wave this fall (or sooner). Here's why.

Article
by Catharine Chambers

Evaluating COVID vaccines: Clinical trials vs. observational studies

An epidemiologist breaks down the differences between short-term clinical trials and observational studies, and what each type of inquiry can tell us about how well vaccines work and how long they will last.

Article
by Paul Taylor

Patient Navigator: Just how contagious is the Delta variant?

The Delta variant is far more contagious than the original type of coronavirus and poses a far greater threat to public health. But measures like social distancing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated can help curb its spread.

Opinion
by Seema Marwaha

Do we need booster shots?

Healthy Debate Editor-in-Chief Seema Marwaha talks about how booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccines could help protect the immunocompromised – especially during the fourth wave – and, perhaps later on, the general public.

Article
by Paul Taylor

Patient Navigator: Do COVID vaccines work for people on immune-suppressing drugs?

People who take immune-suppressing drugs appear to be less protected by COVID vaccines than others – but ongoing research suggests there may be other ways for this group to stay safe.

The Vaccine Passport Debate

Opinion
by Andrew Helmers

Vaccine passports: Moral baggage or all-inclusive destination?

When it comes to vaccine passports, perhaps the ends justify the means – they will increase vaccinations and benefit everyone. But perhaps we must also admit that they are, at best, only a small part of the solution to increasing vaccination.

Opinion
by Andria Bianchi

My vaccine status? It’s private

Asking people about their vaccination status may be well-intentioned, but it can violate their privacy and lead to negative consequences for them. It's time to reconsider asking about it during our regular public interactions.

Article
by Seema Marwaha

Vaccine passports explained

A vaccine passport or identification system is a way to provide official proof of immunization when taking part in higher-risk activities. We break down what it looks like, who is doing it and what the ethical considerations might be.

Latest articles
 
Special Series

Understanding the Learning Health System

The vital partnership between research, community and clinical operations is the hallmark of the learning health system. In this series, we explore the fundamentals of a learning health system as well as several examples of learning health systems in action.

Special Series

Without Compassion, There Is No Health Care

In partnership with AMS Healthcare, Healthy Debate is publishing a series of seven articles that explores the relationship between technology and compassion in the field of health care today, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pillars of the Pandemic

Special Series

Podcasts

Special Series