Autism case highlights urgent need to reform Ontario’s regulatory colleges
Quality
We must protect the elderly as we move to virtual care
What’s in the air? Aerosol transmission drawing increased attention
Exhausted PSWs need help. Regulation is the first step
Taking action on physician wellbeing
Should biosimilar drugs be artificially promoted in Canada?
I’ve got cancer. Will I get the care I need during a pandemic?
Decision aids: why hasn’t this proven, patient-centred practice caught on?
Health care has supposedly entered an era of patient involvement, where important medical decisions are shared between doctors and patients. But many believe that the reality in Canadian health care falls well short of this ideal. Complex medical decisions can prove difficult for patients, who are often faced with dizzying amounts of information about benefits and risks, …
Pulling back the curtain on Canada’s rising C-section rate
Caesarian sections (C-sections) are among the most common surgical procedures performed on women of child-bearing age. Canada’s C-section rate has increased dramatically in the past two decades. The national C-section rate has increased from 17% of all births in 1995 to nearly 27% in 2010. In Ontario, nearly 29% of births in 2011/12 were by C-section, with a similar rate in Alberta of …
Improvements suggested to the health system that failed Greg Price
Greg Price died at the age of 31. His death may have been preventable had he been diagnosed and treated earlier for testicular cancer. He was left alone to navigate the health system and follow up on referrals, while experiencing major delays and the absence of communication and information. His journey through the health system, …
Buyer beware – no quick fix for concussion symptoms
The world is watching athletes in Sochi compete in sports such as hockey and downhill skiing. Concussion poses a risk, not only to the highly trained individuals competing in the Olympics, but also to ordinary Canadians who play sports occasionally. Concussions are the result of a blow to the head, and are the most common …
A primer on Ontario’s health care system for primary health care boards of directors
Last year, Healthy Debate published a primer on Ontario health care system for the boards of directors of hospitals. We’re very happy to now release a primer on the health care system specifically designed for the boards of directors of community governed primary health care organizations. Ontario’s health care boards I have served on several …
Medical error disclosure: improving patient safety through better communication
Monica Enderlin’s father was a healthy and active 74 year-old cabinetmaker who enjoyed sailing and spending time with his four children and wife of 47 years. In March of 2009, he was admitted to hospital in Edmonton with a non-resolving pneumonia. Soon after admission, his condition took a serious turn for the worse. “He was …
Experts warn bureaucratic duplication in research ethics delaying important science
Research on human subjects is essential to the advancement of patient care. Every life-saving drug, surgical technique and medical procedure was tested at some point in its development on humans. While research on humans has yielded enormous benefits, it can also carry risks to research participants. It is therefore essential to ensure research is carried …
Weight loss surgery: what do we know about quality?
Weight loss is a constant struggle for millions of Canadians, with one in four Canadian adults classified as obese. Losing weight is not easy. Many Canadians try to lose weight through diet, exercise, behavioral modification and medications. Bariatric, or weight loss surgery is often the final effort for many on a long, difficult road to …
Can quality be assured for diagnostic imaging?
News headlines from across Canada are periodically dominated by scandals and errors in diagnostic imaging. The list grows each year, with errors exposed from coast to coast. The narrative follows the same arc – an error is discovered in an area of diagnostic imaging. A radiologist – generally the physician involved in the interpretation of …
Fewer hospital staff on weekends puts some patients at risk
In the modern economy, many industries, such as aviation, retail and manufacturing, no longer slow down over weekends. Yet hospitals have mostly resisted this trend, even though demand for many forms of health care is no less on weekends than on weekdays. While most hospitals are open every day of the week, many operate with …
New recommendations for Canadian doctors-in-training focus on fatigue
After finishing medical school, new doctors go through several years of post-graduate, on-the-job training – known as residency – in order to become licensed to practice independently. Historically, residency has involved very long hours spent in hospital, so that residents see a high volume of diverse cases as well as provide patient care. As part …
Improving quality in Canada’s nursing homes requires “more staff, more training”
Over 100,000 patients are cared for in Alberta and Ontario’s nursing homes every year. Many residents and families are quite happy with the care provided in nursing homes. However, news reports from home and abroad remind us that not all nursing home residents receive the same quality of care. Ontario has launched several quality initiatives for long term …
Providing emotional care for patients in a technology-driven health system
“They made me feel genuinely cared for. They listened, made eye contact with me, conveyed warmth and understanding in their voice and repeated back to me what I was saying.” — Sophia, about her visit to a chronic pain clinic, from a “care moment” prepared by the Patient Experience department of Alberta Health Services. Mounting …