Patient experience

Citizen engagement vital if we are to solve our primary-care crisis: OurCare Nova Scotia panelists

Nova Scotia’s primary health care is in crisis. The OurCare Panel in Nova Scotia came up with a series of recommendations on how to fix it.

Access denied: Pandemic highlighted issues in accessing sexual and reproductive health for persons with disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a number of people with disabilities missing health-care appointments due largely to health and safety concerns on transit. But there are measures we can take to provide accessible, disability-affirming care.

Toward a healthier pregnancy: Overcoming barriers to prenatal exercise

By participating in evidence-based prenatal physical activity, pregnant people can increase the likelihood of positive health outcomes for themselves and their babies.

Postpartum depression isn’t the biggest issue for mothers. Postpartum anxiety is

Postpartum anxiety is more than three times more prevalent than postpartum depression yet we hear about it far less often.

Trust us to make our own decisions about breast-cancer screenings

The new U.S. guidance on breast-cancer screening shouldn’t be controversial or a “both sides” issue in Canada. It should serve as a model for the change we need.

Judge people by their merits, not their measurements

People who are obese often experience discrimination at work, school and in health care. Protection in the form of human rights legislation could be a move in the right direction.

What Canada can learn about MAiD for mental illness from Belgium and the Netherlands

Canadians are clearly divided on MAiD based solely on mental illness. From federal laws and legal cases to medical guidelines and published studies in Belgium and the Netherlands, we can make more informed decisions regarding MAiD eligibility for psychiatric patients.

Services de première ligne et équité en santé à l’ère numérique : défis et opportunités

Bien que les soins de santé au Canada soient publics, les individus à faible revenu rencontrent trop souvent des obstacles pour accéder aux services de santé, ce qui nuit à leur santé.

Challenges and opportunities for primary care and health equity in the age of technology

Even though health care in Canada is publicly funded, individuals with low incomes too often face barriers when it comes to accessing health-care services, which can adversely impact their overall health.

‘Bogus contract’ creating gulf between doctors, patients

There are unhealthy expectations built into the "bogus contract" between doctors and patients that overemphasize the power of medicine. At the same time, we are ignoring the relative importance of the precursors to good health.

The wellness profiteers of virtual health care

The virtual care industry has boomed in part due to the decline of primary care. But with it has come a host of wellness scams blurring the lines between evidence-based and unproven health-care remedies.

Uninsured health cuts and pregnancy: Why all Canadians should care

Many of the funding cuts to the uninsured will impact pregnant people. These health cuts are costly - not just to the burdens of the health-care system, but to our sense of humanity and fundamental Canadian values.

Delirium prevention: Up close and personal

Despite being the third most common cause of unintended harm as a result of medical treatment, delirium is still widely misunderstood. This is what the public, patients, and health-care workers all need to know about the condition.

Surviving sepsis: A life and career changing experience

Before my near-death experience, I had no idea what the word sepsis meant. And I certainly didn’t know what the long-term effects would be for my family and me.

Viral response to alcohol guidelines highlights need for harm-reduction messaging

Highlighting the harm reduction aspects of the new alcohol intake guidelines could go a long way in helping consumers make better choices and help bridge the gap between patients and clinicians.

Cancer survival rates have significantly improved. Now we must pay attention to rehabilitation

Cancer survivors should not be left to feel like they need to manage their impairments on their own. There are models for cancer centres across Canada that can provide timely and comprehensive rehabilitation services.

Making time for love and compassion in clinical encounters

What if we were to look at the five love languages in the context of the doctor-patient relationship. What if we replace the word “love” with “compassion?” How might this look within our dealings with patients?

Paying tribute to the good in our health-care system

There is immense work to be done in our fragile health-care system. But in honor of this World Health Worker Week, one patient living with bipolar disorder wants to pay tribute to all the goodness in health-care workers' hearts.

Emergency brain surgery showed me the best of Ontario health care – and the worst

It’s true that when faced with a crisis, some of the best health-care professionals in the world are available to care for us. But that system is at its breaking point.

Team-based care key to alleviating primary-care crisis

Primary care is in crisis and there aren't enough doctors to go around. Done right, team-based care can expand the capacity of family doctors to care for more patients.