Lived Experience

Why aren’t we listening to the people who recover?

If we wanted to understand what it takes to win a Super Bowl, we definitely would be listening to what seven-time winner Tom Brady has to say. We also would listen to teams that lost. Their experiences matter, too. But it would seem strange to study who wins football championships without spending considerable time talking to the people who actually won them. To understand cancer survivorship, we listen not only to oncologists and researchers but also to people who have survived cancer and gone on to live healthy, rewarding and meaningful lives. So why is addiction recovery different?

‘Protecting’ Ontario or putting lives in danger?

By now, just about everyone has seen or heard Doug Ford’s ad campaign claiming that the current premier seeks to Protect Ontario. It’s crystal clear that Ford’s version of “safety” only applies to a fraction of his constituents.

A doctor-patient perspective: How to combat stigma against rare diseases

In medical school, students routinely examine one another to practice clinical skills before applying them in real-world settings. So, when a classmate noticed small lumps in my neck, I made sure to get it checked, thinking there must be something wrong. However, the examination and imaging did not reveal anything concerning and I moved on.

Overcoming the insulin taboo

The insulin pen had been sitting on his kitchen table for months. The 46‑year‑old man, a retired Sri Lanka born chef living in the Toronto area, had survived oral cancer, pancreatitis and a lifetime of hard work. But nothing frightened him more than the small plastic pen meant to save his life. On a June morning, during a routine check after his jaw surgery, he finally confessed his fears.

Patient partnership without pay is not partnership: Rethinking how we value lived experience

Beneath the progressive rhetoric extolling the virtues of patient partnership in health research lies an uncomfortable truth: patient partnership is largely unpaid volunteer work.

When the numbers match the pain: Measuring what health care misses at the moment of pregnancy loss

When I miscarried in Canada, the clinical encounter that followed felt like I was being handed a form when what I needed was a human being.

Art is health infrastructure: Rethinking gender-based violence responses for newcomer women

For newcomer survivors of gender-based domestic violence, expressive arts are not decorative. They are a practical, culturally responsive component of recovery.

Embracing disability consciousness: Elevating diverse voices in medical education

As health care is paying more attention to disability education in recent years, it’s important that when including disability voices, we ensure diversity of disabled voices as well.     

When the rescuer becomes the patient: Reflections on accidental high-energy defibrillation during Code Blue

As physicians, we go to work each day with the intent to provide patient care and help others. Frankly, some days are better than others. But we don’t expect to get injured at work and urgently become patient ourselves.

Beyond burnout: Why a thriving medical profession is essential for patient care

If we are serious about fixing health care in Canada, physician wellness can’t be an afterthought. It must be part of the cure.

Shamed to death: How stigma, not science, is killing Canadians with lung cancer

Lung cancer screening should be available to everyone at risk, regardless of where they live or the source of their illness. 

Ethical recruitment of internationally educated health professionals: From principles to action

With one of the highest volumes of migrant intake in the world, Canada has both a responsibility and an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in ethical recruitment and for policymakers to support implementation of WHO code-aligned policies and practices.

I am a new doctor; Ford is wrong about ‘basketweaving majors’

The Ontario Student Assistance Program is more than just taxpayer money. It is the people’s belief in the immense potential of every student to rise above their station and be of service to the public.

Sharing the waterfront with e-scooters and e-bikes

If we listen to the people who use the roads, including walkers, bicyclists as well as riders of e-bikes and e-scooters, we can design roads so that getting around feels safer and more pleasant.

Adherence starts with understanding: Why health literacy is a system responsibility

On World Adherence Day, the message should be simple but transformative: before we ask patients to follow treatment, we must ensure they truly understand it.

Co-payments ‘a step backward’ for refugees and the health-care system

It’s imperative we protect access to health care for refugees and asylum claimants. There is no compromise when it comes to equitable health care.

Reclaiming the joy of cooking for people living with chronic conditions

The millions of Canadians living with diabetes deserve better than a lifetime of restriction and shame.

Bill to criminalize forced sterilization sparks debate over reproductive justice and medical practice

Bill S-228, which would criminalize forced and coerced sterilization with an up to 14-year prison sentence, is on its way to becoming law. But is it a step in the right direction? Experts weigh in.

The hidden cost of dismissal: How we amplify chronic pain in clinical settings

Chronic pain affects more than one in five Canadians. But not all pain is shaped by our bones, muscles and systems. It also is shaped by context.

The issue no one wants to address about blood donation and Black Canadians

The issue is not whether Black communities care enough to donate. The issue is whether Canada’s blood system is structured in a way that makes equitable participation possible.