Research

Is your doctor watching YouTube? The role of FOAMed in medical education 

Free Open Access Medical Education is a growing movement in the medical community aimed at enhancing medical education through online resources.

Misinformation on social media is winning – scientists must adapt or lose the battle

Scientists and health professionals must rethink how we communicate or risk further marginalization in the public discourse, allowing falsehoods to shape policies, behaviours and health outcomes.

Despite Trump’s threat, congestion pricing has proved its worth in Manhattan

As both history and New York's experiment has shown, a well-thought out congestion pricing plan will ultimately benefit everyone.

Has peer review become a complete waste of time?

We live in a time when ideology-driven political leaders actively feed conspiratorial narratives about health and medicine. Ensuring that scientifically robust information is identified and valued has never been more important.

Rising HIV cases in Canada: Putting the numbers in perspective

The rise in HIV infections over the last several years might indicate that the public health system has failed in containing the virus. But the raw numbers don’t tell the full story.

We don’t pay donors for blood plasma. But is that the right approach?

Any debate about whether to enhance the domestic supply of blood plasma by allowing payments to donors should consider these five items and ensure that citizens are aware of them.

AI offers hope to those suffering from MCAS

The question isn’t whether AI can play a role, it’s whether the global health-care community is willing to invest the necessary resources to unlock its potential.

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."