Primary Care

Shortage of physicians, support systems puts health care in northern Ontario in jeopardy

The holistic style of community care that is the backbone of health care in rural northern Ontario is in jeopardy. If we care about equity, those in northern Ontario must have equitable access to the opportunity to live and die well in their communities.

Palliative care doctor bridges health-care worlds

Michael Anderson, a doctor of Mohawk and English-Canadian ancestry, is drawing on Indigenous knowledge to not only improve palliative care – but also discover his culture and himself.

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.

Western’s Centre for Palliative Care is an idea whose time has come

Western University may open an institute meant to foster cross-disciplinary innovation in the field of palliative care. If fully realized, it could transform health care in southwestern Ontario. Now, let's go even farther.

Montreal mobile clinic inspires young physician to act locally

A resident reflects on volunteering with Médecins du Monde Canada as a medical student—and what that experience taught her about the crucial role that community organizations play in helping the most vulnerable.

Virtual care evens the odds in ‘palliative care lottery’

While virtual care comes with drawbacks that must be carefully managed, it will ultimately be a huge step forward in improving access to palliative care in Ontario and Canada.

‘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.

Family medicine-maternity care: A romantic idea facing an uncertain future

Physicians who practice family medicine and offer maternity care are shrinking in numbers. Their future is uncertain. What do we stand to lose?

In praise of nurses – and Grammy

In hospice settings, nurses wet the mouths of patients as they take their last breaths. Sometimes, they simply sit with them so that no one dies alone. As a physician, I could not do my job without them.

HOMR’s Odyssey: Calculating palliative need in real time

By using tools that identify which patients have an elevated risk of mortality in the coming year, we can catch patients who would benefit from palliative care planning before they fall through the cracks.

Lessons from Down Under – Eight pillars to support palliative care

During the pandemic, we Canadians could learn a thing or two from our Aussie friends Down Under. This includes important lessons on palliative care.

Bazinga! A unified model of palliative care in Ontario

To ensure access to high-quality palliative care for all Ontarians facing a life-limiting illness, we need a unified model of palliative care across Ontario.

Focus on palliative care will help hospitals recover from COVID-19

To address the surgical backlog caused by COVID-19, we need community-based palliative care to free up important hospital resources.

Why choose palliative care?

You may assume that palliative care is synonymous with end-of-life or hospice care. Our goal is to eliminate this common misconception.

To catch up on vaccinations, we must include family doctors, pharmacists in rollout plans

It is only through primary and community care that we will be able to vaccinate populations that are neglected and/or mistrustful of the health-care system.

Despite what you might think mid-pandemic, family medicine is more necessary than ever

Medical students must take up family medicine, since our health-care system needs strong family physicians to face the long-term impacts of COVID-19 for years to come. 

The view from here: A family doctor’s perspective of a population under lockdown

If we were to weigh all health outcomes, not only deaths due to COVID-19, would we continue blunt, sweeping lockdowns as our main public health strategy?

Pandemic fears overshadowing need for primary care

The illness and the outcomes may differ between cases but the issue is ultimately the same – people are waiting too long to seek medical attention.

Choosing the future of pediatrics wisely

In pediatrics, we are late to the Choosing Wisely movement. We have not yet fully appreciated the critical importance of this program.

If not now, when? Applying a palliative approach in long-term care