Technology and Innovation

Research into rare diseases ‘touches everyone’

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

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.

‘It’s not easy to be a start-up in health care’: Family doctor’s AI tool aims to ease burnout

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools are being used to ease administrative burdens on family physicians in clinics across the province. But there are still a number of risks and benefits to weigh when it comes to new AI technology.

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.

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.

Designing virtual and physical clinical spaces to build trust

The clinical spaces that surround us are not passive; they can enhance or hinder our effectiveness as health-care providers. Research has shown the built environment can affect a number of outcomes for patients as well as improve workplace safety and satisfaction for providers.

The Nobel Prize, and representation in science

The Nobel Prize is one of the most coveted accolades in academia, but diverse individuals are being left out as awardees. We hope that scientists from underrepresented communities also will feel as if their work will be recognized fairly.

Hunt is on for helium; rising cost has some hospitals turning to new MRI models

The rising costs and difficulty of sourcing helium, partly because of the war in Ukraine, have led to the development of new MRI machines that use significantly less helium.

Overdiagnosis: Good intentions gone bad

Overdiagnosis is a problem that's been recognized for decades, but in the last 10 years research has proven that early detection does not always mean better outcomes. Overdiagnosis can sometimes cause physical, psychological or financial harm. But there are things that both physicians and patients can do to help prevent it.

National licensure, better virtual-care needed to fix system ‘close to the precipice’: incoming CMA president

Dr. Alika Lafontaine sat down with Healthy Debate to talk about the challenges facing our health-care system as it grapples with pandemic recovery.

Access to virtual care highlights urban/rural divide

The move to virtual care is leaving some communities behind. For rural Canadians, especially those in remote and Indigenous communities, there are obstacles to seeing a doctor both in person and online.

The digital revolution is upon us; how can e-prescribing help alleviate the click burden?

As we continue returning to a semblance of normalcy, it’s important we don’t lose the progress that we’ve made in safe and effective virtual care. e-Prescribing tools should continue to be a part of safer and more efficient medication management.

Twenty years of talk is enough: Digital tools like e-prescribing must become a core part of our health-care system

When the pandemic started and social distancing necessitated a switch to virtual care almost overnight, our digital health-care system struggled and sometimes failed entirely. This broken system must end now. Here's how we can fix it.

Digital therapeutics and the social determinants of health are on divergent pathways. Can they be reconciled?

Two significant trends in health care are at cross-purposes: the boom in digital devices that tackle diseases at the individual level, and the growing recognition of the importance of social determinants of health. Can these two trends be reconciled?

Children’s visits to emergency departments surge as winter looms

Pediatric emergency departments are seeing record numbers of visits since some families can’t see their family doctors or go to walk-in clinics. More patients mean longer waits, hindering care for some children with emergency conditions.

‘What’s the appropriate amount of virtual care? It’s not zero, and it’s not 100’

Provincial governments are urging family doctors to resume in-person visits, arguing that virtual care increases pressure on ERs and leads to poorer health outcomes. But some doctors counter that it improves accessibility, among other benefits.

​​Professor’s NOVID app turns contact tracing into a safety game

If you get contact-traced because you've been near someone infected with a contagious disease, it’s too late to protect yourself. You isolate to protect others. But a new app aims to fight outbreaks using our desire to protect ourselves. Here's how.

Smart bras, molecular imaging and genome sequencing: Innovations take on breast cancer

What if a bra, taking images like an MRI, could detect breast cancer? With recent technological innovations, there may soon be cheap, non-invasive ways to screen people for breast cancer in their own homes.

The dangers of antimicrobial drug resistance must not be ignored

We are seeing an increase in dangerous microbes becoming resistant to antimicrobial drugs. To counter this threat, we must reduce our use of the drugs and explore innovative treatments that could one day replace them.