Research

The future of prescriptions: Pharmacogenomic testing on the verge of revolutionizing health care

With the growing trend of using genomic information to personalize care, is there a type of testing that can tell us whether medications we have been prescribed are actually working?

Should pregnant women take omega-3 supplements? The truth is, it depends

A simple question – should pregnant women take an omega-3 supplement – provokes a very complex answer.

Peto’s Paradox: Large mammals may hold clues in preventing cancer among humans

Despite their large size, mammals like whales and elephants have dramatically lower rates of cancer than humans. Understanding how these creatures suppress cancer cell growth could hold answers for human health.

Legislation that guides road design must prioritize safety over travel times

"We strongly oppose the recent proposed Ontario legislation, Bill 212, that limits the ability for municipalities and cities to make their roads safer for their citizens."

Are Canada’s clinical trials in need of reform? Experts weigh in.

Private companies in Canada are recruiting thousands of often financially desperate test subjects each year to participate in clinical trials. If we want to ensure safer studies for participants and improve critical research, what is the best way forward?

Hey Canada, let’s stop the homeopathy lie

As Alberta ponders whether or not to bring alternative medicine into the provincial health-care system, Timothy Caulfield has a few words to share on homeopathy.

Canadians deserve potentially life-saving early warning health-care AI

AI technology threatens to disenfranchise the labour force, further concentrate power and wealth and even destabilize democracy. But it's not all bad news. CHARTWatch shows how AI could be used to save lives rather than destroy them.

Drug decriminalization did not increase overdose deaths, analysis shows

As policymakers in Canada backtrack on decriminalization measures, a news study finds that drug decriminalization in Oregon did not cause an increase in overdose mortality.

What is ‘normal’? Lab-based inequity in hematology

Inappropriate reference ranges are a significant issue in various areas of medicine and perpetuate systemic racism.

Telegraph hit job a prime example of how not to report on drug policy

The Telegraph story depicts Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in a way that maximizes the harm done to their most vulnerable sources. But as journalists, we don't need to punch down to do our jobs.

The Big Data minefield as AI shapes the future of health care

Ongoing clinical feedback from everyday use of AI models forms the basis for AI’s self-learning and continuous improvement. Physicians will have to realize the agency – and the responsibility – they hold in interacting with this feedback loop.

Legally Blind

AI can be an incredibly useful tool for physicians. But while the myriad benefits are dizzying, there are few infrastructural supports at present to guide physicians through uncharted territory.

Along with millions of others, I live with MCAS. There is an urgent need for research and support

"Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a debilitating and often misunderstood condition. As someone living with MCAS, I have firsthand experience of its profound impact on daily life and the urgent need for greater awareness, research and funding."

Resident matching can’t start with CaRMS: Why we need a national plan for the health workforce

"Medical residents are a critical part of the health system. Together, we can plan for a future where they and their patients are set up for long-term success."

The toxic standards that have shaped coverage of drug use in Canada

While a health crisis has unfolded, newsrooms have had to learn to do better. But the changes in framing haven’t always come fast enough or extended to the workers with lived experience

Droplet or airborne? WHO says it’s ‘through the air’ 

The WHO is slowly moving forward on airborne transmission. But language changes seem forced, unnecessary and only seem to benefit those who were unable to use the word "airborne" early in the pandemic.

Simple finger-prick blood test could help women with debilitating condition

A Canadian company is working to perfect a simple, finger-prick blood test that would revolutionize the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Why every Canadian hospital should be a ‘research’ hospital

By embedding research into clinical practice we can achieve a “learning health system” and advance quality health care for all Canadians.

Patient partners add value to health research

Involving patients and caregivers in research can make research more relevant. So, how can patients and caregivers partner on a project?

‘Just a pinch’: Women frustrated as medical community downplays pain of IUD insertion

Thousands of TikTok rants, viral tweets, petitions and peer-reviewed studies have documented the insufficient pain relief offered for IUD insertions. So, what is the response from Canadian medicine to this outcry? Practically nothing.