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by Shushiela Appavoo

Excluding experts doesn’t make sense

Most assume that the Canadian task force guidelines are led by content expert specialist clinicians. But this is not the case. The task force says it excludes content experts from genuine involvement in guideline development to avoid conflicts of interest. However, in the Canadian health-care context, this is not a valid argument.

by Catriona Hippman

We have a tool to help prevent suicide during pregnancy and postpartum. Why does the task force recommend against using it?

In 2022, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care released recommendations against using a tool (the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale – EPDS) to screen for depression during pregnancy and the postpartum. These recommendations do not agree with those made by experts in B.C. and Ontario; and around the world in Australia, the United States, England and Scotland. It is important that we look closely at these recommendations and try to understand why they differ.

by Rubina Ahmed

‘This place keeps me fed’: Langars coping with surge in users

Much like food banks, across Canada Sikh gurdwaras have been feeding an ever-growing number of people in recent years.

by Sangeetha Nadarajah

Gummies for pain relief? Using cannabis while on prescription drugs risky for seniors

Despite their widespread use, you may want to think twice before giving grandma cannabis gummies for her knee pain.

by Amolak Singh

‘I want to finally start living my life’: Added residency year for family practice draws criticism

A three-year family practice program will almost certainly exacerbate the current primary care crisis. For Canadians, this will result in fewer family doctors practicing community care and less access to preventative care, cancer screenings and treatment of chronic diseases.

by Nickrooz Grami

Do doctors know enough about the commercial determinants of health?

Private sector activities have a real impact on people's health. We need to promote healthy cross-industry regulation and scrutinize the role that private interests play in the health-policy arena to help safeguard the health of patients.

by Jennifer Beeman Jane E. McArthur

It’s not all pretty in pink: To prevent breast cancer, let’s stop missing the forest for the trees

Breast cancer rates, even among young people, are on the rise. For this Breast Cancer Awareness month, there's more we could be doing to prevent the disease before it starts.

by Savannah Verhage Jason M. Lo Hog Tian Peter Zhang

Untapped potential: Young leaders have the tools to help address health-care challenges

Global health solutions require creativity, innovation and novel thinking. It is imperative for governments and educators to recognize young leaders and their ideas.

by John Van Aerde

We must change our mindset about our health-care system

No system, public or private, can cover all the health needs and wants of every person all the time. It's time for difficult conversations about our health-care system.

by Humaira Niazi Jamie Thompson Emma Skolnik

Beyond birth control: The benefits of universal contraception don’t end at pregnancy prevention

Contraceptives are a key part of health care for half of Canada's population and their benefits extend beyond family planning alone. It is time to expand universal contraception to the entire country.

by Mehreen Zaman

Yes, patients and caregivers are experts

Does being a patient make you an expert on your condition? Does formal education and credentials to comprehend a disease outweigh the rigor of experiencing life with the disease? There may be more room for patient-expert buy-in in health care decisions.

by Mary Sco.

Mushrooms, nuts and collard greens: Nutrition and how to lower the odds of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the product of many factors over a lifetime. While some of those factors are out of our control, others like diet offer opportunities to mitigate risk.

by Danny Liang

Health-care lessons from the field: Think bottom-up and local, not sexy

An ER physician recalls how a junkyard of broken donated medical devices behind a Ugandan hospital illustrates a key issue in existing global health initiatives.

by David L. Dawson

Could we have done more? Risk assessment and violence

Risk assessments done by mental health professionals for violent offenders are often highly subjective. But there are better tools we can use to screen perpetrators of violent crimes before release.

by Sabina Vohra-Miller

Are mask mandates in health-care settings justified?

No public-health measure has resulted in as much controversy as face coverings. For a universal masking requirement in health-care settings to be acceptable, decision-makers must situate it within the context of public-health ethics to determine whether these mandates are justified.

by Douglas Courtemanche

Another year? Yes. Make it a good one, and share it with specialists, too.

Adding another year to the family practice residency may be controversial, but it is a good idea. All students, residents, clinicians, the system and, most importantly, patients would benefit from a more complete education of all doctors.

by Doreen Rabi

We cannot teach ourselves out of a failing system

The College of Family Physicians of Canada's expansion of training will demoralize and financially penalize early career physicians. Education will not address systemic and structural barriers to comprehensive practice.

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