Public Health

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.

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?

The ongoing race in health care. Who will win?

In the race to change health care, there are two participants: Health-care improvement and burnout. Who will win?

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.

Antimicrobial resistance: ‘Slow-moving tsunami’ now coming fast and furious

Antimicrobial resistance long has been described as a “slow-moving tsunami,” suggesting its only likely to occur in some far-distant future. It may seem that we do not need to take immediate action because there is still time … but is there?

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.

Research into rare diseases ‘touches everyone’

Research into rare diseases can hold the key to unlocking the secrets of far more common ailments.

Unlocking the potential of non-coding RNAs as therapeutic targets

Ongoing studies in molecular medicine continue to discover new non-coding RNAs and unravel their key roles in gene expression control. The story of ncRNAs and their relevance to medicine is only beginning.

Canada flexing its nuclear muscles in medicine, energy production and nuclear waste management

Canada’s nuclear industry is experiencing a renaissance after 15 years of setbacks and stagnation. These developments could prove helpful in medicine. But issues like finding a home for high-level nuclear waste site are not without controversy.

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.

Trust is essential to a functioning social safety net: Lessons from the pandemic

For those who already felt disconnected from the health-care systems and policy-makers, the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated lack of trust in health care and public messaging.

I saw first-hand how the nursing shortage is squeezing smaller centres

As the nursing shortage worsens, we must remain cautious about privatization further creeping into the Canadian health-care system, especially given its potential effects on smaller and rural centres.

The Cannabis Act is being reviewed: Expect battles

The Cannabis Act is under review. Many problems will be addressed. But there will be a faceoff between public-health advocates and industry representatives on a number of fronts.

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 48 – Monkeypox Virus and the Waterfall Trial

Virtual care is here to stay. But what are patients’ expectations?

As we redesign a better primary care system coming out of the pandemic, we need to consider the role of virtual care and what patients will expect.

‘Violating Nature’s Health Laws’: How an eccentric early 20th century influencer set the stage for the COVID infodemic

Recognizing historical influences is just the start of tackling the social underpinnings of the infodemic. We must shed the legacy of the idea that a sick person ‘deserved it as a penalty for violating Nature’s health laws.