Beata Chami
May 20, 2020
Healthcare Professional Well-Being
Healthcare professionals have been hit hard by the consequences of COVID-19. Some are putting in long hours, treating infected patients, and physically distancing themselves from their families. Others are losing work in their clinics and trying to figure out how to keep their practices afloat, all while worrying that they may be contracting the virus and putting their health at risk. This article will provide strategies and tools to support your well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. read more...
Drs. Lawrence Chow and Rose Hatala
May 6, 2020
Serious Illness Conversations in the Time of COVID-19
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, our most vulnerable patients (the elderly and those with chronic illnesses) are disproportionately at the highest risk of mortality. In this difficult and chaotic time, it's more important than ever that we maintain a humanistic approach to care. This involves keeping the patient, and their values and preferences, front and center in our care. read more...
Drs. Bruce Hobson, Daniel Ngui, Christie Newton, Shirley Sze and Steve Wong
April 14, 2020
Evolving in the era of COVID-19
You are not alone in this difficult time. It’s OK to feel like you are struggling, frustrated and/or anxious, everyone is. You can get help for personal health issues, workflow problems, staffing concerns, financial difficulties, clinical dilemmas, and technology challenges. You can do this; we can all do this… together. read more...
Tandi Wilkinson MD CCFP-EM
April 1, 2020
Taking care of each other during COVID-19 – peer support for physicians
I conducted a study examining effective peer support in rural Canadian physicians. (Spoiler alert: those who have had good peer support say it is essential to their career in medicine.) Here is what I am doing now to ensure I, and my team, can manage through this unprecedented time at work. read more...
Dr. Janet McKeown
March 11, 2020
Government Assistance Forms: Do they leave you bewildered?
Government Assistance: Health Resources and Forms tool has helped me understand assistance with a more organized approach. It has helped me access information quickly and it has helped me be more knowledgeable about billing provincially, federally and privately. It is also an efficient tool to use in a teaching environment to help learners better understand government assistance. read more...
Dr. Susan Woolhouse
February 26, 2020
Preparing children for the medically assisted death of a loved one
My past experiences during my palliative care rotations reassured me that children could benefit from bearing witness to a loved one’s death. Why would MAID be any different? I set out to learn more about how children grieve and ways in which I could support children through the dying of a loved one seeking MAID. read more...
Dr. Mary V. Seeman
February 5, 2020
Practice tip: medication-induced stuttering in psychiatric patients
Fellow psychiatrists often ask whether their patients with schizophrenia are aging prematurely. They point to the fact that several of their patients seem slowed down, forgetful, fidgety, and that they garble their words and stutter. These are, of course, all side effects of antipsychotic medication. read more...
Clarrisa Wallace, Sue Mills and Fahreen Dossa
January 24, 2020
Learning from each other: A Peer Coaching Program
In preparation for teaching a Clinical Skills session, we diligently reviewed the tutor guide and video ahead of time. However, we sometimes wondered how other teachers were translating the advice from the guide into their teaching. read more...
Dr. Breay Paty
January 21, 2020
Appropriate testosterone testing for male hypogonadism
The therapeutic use of testosterone has increased dramatically in the last two decades. The reasons for this appear to be increased frequency of testing and marketing of testosterone replacement for middle-aged and older men. While men with unequivocally low testosterone levels usually benefit from hormone replacement, the risk/benefit ratio for men with equivocal ("borderline") levels is not clear, especially men who desire fertility. read more...
Dr. Dan Bilsker
January 8, 2020
Hiding in plain sight: men’s mental health
It is well-known that men die on average 3-4 years before women - but why? We identified three main factors contributing to Years of Life Lost by men compared to women: cardiovascular disease, suicide, and motor vehicle accidents. As a psychologist, I was intrigued by the substantial contribution of suicide. read more...
Dr. Steve Wong
December 18, 2019
Letter from the editor
This week’s cover picture is me with Piper, the puppy that changed my practice. We got a puppy this year that made me take time to go for walks with my wife in the mornings before work and spend more mindful downtime with the family. She turned out to be a great balancer to the stress and bustle of an over-scheduled professional life. read more...
Dr. Lisa Nakajima
December 4, 2019
Use of endometrial aspirators as a uterine sound for IUD insertion
One of the risks of IUD insertion includes perforation of the uterus. Although uterine perforation is relatively uncommon and often does not cause long-term harm, it does increase the risk of unplanned pregnancy and often requires surgery. I have chosen to use endometrial aspirators that are commonly used for endometrial biopsy sampling as a sound for IUD insertions, instead of the traditional metal sounds. read more...
