Finding community, compassion and purpose as a smoking cessation advocate

I tried to quit smoking several times over the span of four decades, until in January 2009 I finally decided I was stronger. It worked. Now I have become a smoking cessation advocate trying to support Canadians, particularly in rural communities, in their efforts to quit smoking.

Rethinking aging as it applies to the brain

Research from the last decade has upended much of what we thought we knew about dementia and the aging brain. As we're now living longer, its important to learn what changes we need to make individually and culturally to increase our brains ability at any age. 

Ontario’s mental health laws must change to protect our most vulnerable patients

Ontario’s current mental health laws create barriers for front-line physicians to effectively treat patients experiencing psychosis.

International fellows in the shadows: The other side of post-graduate medical education

International clinical fellows have been the unsung heroes throughout the pandemic. Yet, we still haven’t been able to guarantee some of the basic workplace provisions for them that their Canadian colleagues take for granted.

‘Medical gaslighting’ harming long-COVID patients

Despite the reality of their debilitating physical symptoms, Long-COVID patients have been frequently misdiagnosed with a psychiatric conditions - a form of "medical gaslighting" at the hands of their physicians.

Let’s Talk Period: Caring for women with bleeding disorders

We need to understand how to care for women with bleeding disorders – the red-flag symptoms, and the barriers women face in getting an accurate and timely diagnosis.

A pandemic silver lining? Research shows drop in bullying in school and online

The COVID-19 pandemic may have shut down schools but, as new research shows, it also shut down both in-person and online bullying. And bullies are still lying low. But why hasn’t bullying returned since students have gone back to school?

New PSA has potential, but devil is in the capitation details

The new Physician Services Agreement adds a complexity modifier to capitation-based primary care models in Ontario, which could be an important step toward equity. Done right, it could incentivize physicians to serve those who most need care and address ongoing health gaps. But the devil is in the details.

Episode 42 – Chest Pain and Diabetes

Tapping into the power of hope

Learning about a patient’s hopes can create an opportunity for both special intervention and improve goals of care conversations and assist doctors in crafting a care plan that will optimize the chances of these dreams coming true. The Oneday Dreams charity offers the hope for better quality of life to patients with terminal illness.

Provinces have charted their own paths, but should all adults in Canada have access to second boosters of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Canadian provinces and territories have gone their own ways on the advisability and availability of fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses. But should the general population be eligible for a fourth dose at this time? Or are we better off waiting? We asked a group of experts to weigh in.

‘There aren’t many options for people like me’: A Q&A on living with food allergies

Rates of food allergy have increased in recent decades. 9 per cent of Canadians now report having a food allergy.

Hunt is on for helium; rising cost has some hospitals turning to new MRI models

The rising costs and difficulty of sourcing helium, partly because of the war in Ukraine, have led to the development of new MRI machines that use significantly less helium.

Re-evaluating visitor restrictions

While visitor policies have undoubtedly helped prevent COVID transmission in hospitals, as we move away from a crisis response to COVID-19, caregivers and families may once again be able to support patients alongside their health-care teams.

Clinical trial disruptions in Ukraine a little-known consequence of war

The Russian invasion has upended hundreds of clinical trials and interrupted the delivery of life-saving treatments, with devastating consequences for both Ukrainians and Russians.

Let’s not be smug: Canada has much work to do in caring for pregnant women

At a time when there is impetus to preserve reproductive rights globally, in Canada there must be an emphasis on patient-centred approaches to education, policies and models of care for miscarriage - the most frequent complication of early pregnancy.

Togethering – An array of flexible housing options

The latest in the Togethering series looks at the spectrum of common housing options available to seniors and provides a roadmap for conversations with the elders in your life.

Episode 41 – Module Madness

Palliative care (still) in need of better PR and a new spokesperson

Palliative care has an image problem. We need to find someone who can get the message across to the thousands of Canadians who could benefit from a palliative approach to care and those who care for them.

What we can learn from the evolution of guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic

The only absolute in science is that there are no absolutes. Throughout the pandemic, recommendations have changed based on new data. For the public, this may come across as flip-flopping, but in actuality, it is simply that we are making the best decisions possible in the current context.