Health Infrastructure

786 articles:
Wait times
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by Larry W. Chambers Rebecca Correia

Dementia care in need of province-wide network in MINT condition

Ontario does not have a standardized primary care model for dementia. But for other prevalent health conditions, Ontario has provincial clinical networks. Such a network should be established for dementia care too. Here's why.
by Catherine Varner

‘Do I really need this in my life?’ Concerns grow over violence in ERs

Emergency departments are struggling to deal with staff shortages, and the violence that health-care workers face is a big reason why people are quitting the field. Doctors and nurses are calling for measures to curb the violence.
by Miranda Caley

Love for grandmother ‘a driving force’ during pandemic

Nathan Stall is a geriatrician and scientist who fought against the heartbreaking toll that the pandemic had on the elderly and those in long-term care. We're profiling him as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.
by Maddi Dellplain

Vaccines aren’t even the half of it

Family and emergency physician Erin Bearss led the vaccine rollout in six Toronto long-term care homes. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.
by Shelley Allen

Social workers are essential workers, too

Throughout the pandemic, social workers have been vital, and they will be needed more than ever as we move toward recovery. It's time we recognized that social workers are essential workers too.
by Seema Marwaha Sabina Vohra-Miller Ripudaman Singh Minhas

Breaking the cycle of racism and bias in health care

COVID-19 has laid bare racial disparities in health. Three medical professionals talk about the structural racism in health care they have seen during the pandemic – and what needs to be done to address it.
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 increases, we should spend more of our tax dollars not on care homes, but rather community-based services that will help seniors age at home.
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 then found a soulmate in pediatric intensive care.
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.
by Jorge A. Cruz-Aguado

What’s in a name? Fear for patients when cancer is in a hospital’s title

The word "cancer" induces distress, fear, and perhaps even guilt in cancer patients. So why do we include the word in the names of so many hospital institutions?

by Darren Cargill

Holy health care, Batman! Do you have a plan for What if …?

What if you needed urgent medical care, but someone else had to speak on your behalf about the care that you'd receive? Advance care planning would prepare you for such a situation. Don't leave it to others to make guesses about your care.
by Claire Connors Elizabeth Dayo Natalia Kruger Sara Alavian Jacqueline Vincent Allison Brown

Not on the same team: Police presence in health-care settings is at odds with professional obligations and trauma-informed care

The presence of police in health-care settings can undermine the ability of doctors, nurses, and others to provide high-quality, patient-centred care. It's time we critically interrogated the role of police in these spaces.

by Wendy Glauser

Integrating care to fill the gap for seniors’ physical, mental health

Mental and physical health are often treated separately, even though they're closely linked. That disconnect can be even worse for seniors, whose care is often fragmented to begin with. But one program is trying to change that.
by Wendy Glauser

The learning health system: An R and D department for local solutions

Health-care organizations don’t usually have R&D departments; instead, researchers typically apply for grants for one-off studies. That’s a problem—but one that could be changing.
by Don Melady Frank Molnar

‘You can’t manage what you don’t measure’: Hospitals slow to recognize increasing number of dementia patients

In our hospitals, we have no systems in place to identify people living with dementia, measure how many there are or how their dementia impacts our care. And hospitals are not implementing programs to improve.
by Wendy Glauser

North York Cares: Health team proving value of innovation

The siloes in Canadian health systems can decrease the quality of care patients receive. But Ontario Health Teams are trying to address this problem by bringing primary care, hospital and community providers together.

by Max Binks-Collier

How one ER partnered with a mental-health organization to care for youth in distress

Young adults recovering from mental illness and substance use are working in the emergency room of a Toronto hospital to give young patients in psychological distress the support they need.

by Wendy Glauser

AI tool ‘fundamentally changes the game’ for ICU care

In our first learning health system case study, we profile an AI program that predicts which patients are at a high risk of going to the ICU. It has been successfully implemented largely because its developers took input from the physicians and nurses who would be using it from the get go.
by Max Binks-Collier

‘You need not be alone anymore’: The doctor redefining palliative care

Dr. Ramona Mahtani has led an effort to integrate palliative care into siloed medical specializations throughout the pandemic. In doing so, she has put forward a bold, boundary-pushing vision of what palliative care can be.

by Wendy Glauser

Breaking down barriers: Learning health system connects researchers, health professionals and communities

Too often, health-care innovations don’t actually improve health systems – the innovators haven't collaborated with patients, and doctors, and other stakeholders. But a different approach, the learning health system, is trying to change that.

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