All articles

Dr. Steve Wong
Dec 16, 2015

Letter from the editor

As 2015 comes to a rapid close, I wanted to once again thank all of our authors and readers for their active participation at This Changed My Practice (TCMP). read more...

Sue Barlow, OT and Jennifer Loffree, OT
Dec 02, 2015

Concussion rehabilitation

The statistics regarding recovery from concussion indicate that the majority of individuals will be symptom-free at 3 months; within 6 months 70-75% will be symptom free; and within a year 10% will have 1 persisting symptom and 5% will have 4 or more persisting symptoms read more...

Dr. Paul Thiessen
Nov 18, 2015

A simple new technique for collecting urine in infants

What changed my practice was this simple new technique reported in an article from Spain which described a new method to obtain a midstream urine collection in which the infant is held upright and someone rubs over the suprapubic region while gently tapping over the lumbar region of the spine. read more...

Dr. Antoinette van den Brekel
Oct 28, 2015

Postnatal investigation of antenatally detected hydronephrosis

Health care providers caring for pregnant women and newborns are often faced with a finding of fetal hydronephrosis on routine screening antenatal ultrasound; in fact it is seen in 1 to 2% of fetuses screened. Babies at risk of rapidly progressive renal injury due to urinary tract obstruction need to be evaluated and referred for specialized care urgently, prior to discharge from hospital. read more...

Dr. Ric Arseneau
Oct 13, 2015

Hope for patients with fatigue, pain, and unexplained symptoms

Fatigue, pain, and unexplained symptoms are commonly seen in physician offices, however they are often experienced as “unsatisfying” for doctors. Our patients need an explanatory model to help them understand their illness. If we don’t provide one, patients will create their own or seek one elsewhere. read more...

Dr. Karen Nordahl
Sep 30, 2015

Exercise during pregnancy

It has been shown that 55% of pregnant patients reported some form of back pain during their pregnancy when questioned. Studies have demonstrated that if we get pregnant women moving, specifically working their pelvic floor with Kegel exercises and their ‘core’ they may have better pregnancy outcomes. read more...

James McCormack
Sep 16, 2015

Cardiovascular outcomes and blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol numbers

Numerous observational studies have consistently shown in many (but not all) patient populations a correlation between people with higher blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol numbers, and a greater risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes, and other unwanted outcomes. read more...

Dr. Catherine Allaire
Sep 02, 2015

Management of cyclical pelvic pain

Endometriosis is a very common condition affecting an estimated 10% of women of reproductive age. Severe dysmenorrhea is the most common symptom of endometriosis and the earliest one to occur. read more...

Dr. Anne Antrim
Aug 19, 2015

This app changed my practice – Read by QxMD

Read by QxMD provides the current research and opinions on topics in your field in a user-friendly manner so that I am not the last person in the province using Ribavarin for RSV infection when everyone else has read about the lack of efficacy. read more...

Douglas Cave, PhD
Aug 03, 2015

Recognizing the Potential Influence of the Interpersonal Gap in Teaching

I was frustrated at times that the students and residents did not always follow the instructions I gave. Their work was sometimes incomplete, off topic, or plainly wrong. While this was not true for most students, it was consistently true for a few each year. Teaching about empathy for example, I would invite residents to practice doing an interview with each other using empathic reflections and they would do it incorrectly. read more...

Dr. Clara van Karnebeek and Dr. Sylvia Stockler
Jul 29, 2015

This app changed my practice – Treatable Intellectual Disability Endeavor in B.C. (TIDE) – Treatable ID App www.treatable-id.org

Affecting 2-3% of Canadians, intellectual disability (ID) is a lifelong, devastating condition defined by deficits in cognitive functioning (IQ<70) and adaptive skills. It is called global developmental disability (GDD) in children less than 5 years of age; it is defined as deficits in 2 or more developmental domains. In Canada, approximately 7,600-11,500 children are born annually with GDD. Identification of GDD or ID in children is the essential first step and often a task for the primary care practitioner. read more...

Dr. Randall White
Jul 08, 2015

Measurement of depressive symptoms improves outcomes in primary care

Simple use of a self-rated symptom checklist can double the odds of response to antidepressant medication in primary-care patients. read more...