Prevention

Dr. Pharmacist?

Pharmacists can prescribe medications for certain ailments in eight provinces with Ontario about to follow suit. But while pharmacists knowledge of medications is invaluable, are they diagnosticians?

Woefully inadequate: Dearth of funding for biomedical health research reflects our environmental racism

Biomedical research policy needs to begin addressing environmental racism and justice and expand funded research for climate change, environmental and planetary health.

The war raging in your body: These little-known immune cells may prevent severe COVID

Infectious diseases were once the greatest threat to human survival. Today it is not necessarily the infection itself but rather the immune system’s response to the infection that dictates the survival of the fittest.

Re-imagining global health care, person by person, mission by mission

Author and physician Jennifer Wilson reflects on the decision to offer her medical services in Northern Ghana and the writing of her book, Grant Us Tomorrow.

What’s on a label? This simple intervention could improve patient safety and save money

Adding reason for use to the labels of prescriptions could be an opportunity to support patient health literacy and to improve communication within the health-care team.

Ontario taxpayers bearing the burden of ‘OHIP for all’ policy

Ten days into the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario's public health insurance policy was expanded to include all uninsured patients, like temporary workers and tourists. But more sustainable solutions are needed in place of “OHIP for All.”

‘Please don’t come back’: Using virtual care to prevent readmissions

In Canada, one in 11 patients is readmitted within 30 days of being discharged from hospital. But virtual care can help reduce readmissions, cut costs, and reduce pressures on the health-care system.

Why social impact matters: Reflections from a nursing leader

Investing in social impact is something organizations in the health-care field are uniquely positioned to do. We need to remind people of the “why” behind what we do and consider ways we can use our considerable economic and social power to be a force for good.

Episode 51 – Cardiovascular Disease and Colorectal Cancer Screening

B.C. physicians’ Pap-a-palooza like a ‘golden ticket’ for patients

Many patients without a family doctor struggle to access Pap tests. The demand has become unsustainable. But two B.C. physicians are throwing a "Pap-a-palooza" to help meet the need.

To mask or not to mask. The sequel

Canada’s provincial medical officers of health are resisting calls for mask mandates despite pressures on our health care system from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), COVID-19 and influenza. But the question remains: Should we return to mandatory masking in indoor spaces?

What to know about bivalent vaccines

Health Canada authorized the most recent bivalent vaccine to date, a Moderna booster, to target multiple strains of the COVID-19 virus. But what exactly is a bivalent vaccine? And is it safe? Here's all you need to know.

A low carbohydrate diet can treat diabetes better … and save us money

The key to the diabetes crisis is well within our reach. We can win the fight against diabetes by embracing a low-carbohydrate diet as the first-line medical nutrition treatment.

Unprecedented wait list for health care will have long-term toll on children

Ontario’s rapidly expanding wait list for children’s health care will have long-term consequences for health and increase costs to the health-care system.

The Faces & Phases of COVID-19

The Faces/Phases Project is a portrait of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Through a series of data visualizations, we cover the first two years of the pandemic.

The ABCs of combating ageism

We all need to rethink aging. Not only do our beliefs about aging play an essential role in the aging process, but changing these beliefs is not as hard as we might think.

The Plan to Stay Open: Relief for our beleaguered health-care system or a move to further privatization?

Ontario’s Plan to Stay Open, a five-point strategy aimed at “health-care system stability and recovery,” has been the subject of much debate since its final release in August. We asked a panel of experts what they thought about the plan. Here's what they had to say.

Episode 45 – Preventative Medicine: the Mediterranean Diet and the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

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.

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.