All articles

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...

Dr. Sue Murphy
Jul 03, 2015

Open book exams – something to consider?

One of the topics examined in my initial “professionalism” course are the bylaws and Standards of Practice of the licensing body. Bearing in mind that the end goal is that students should be able to apply these standards to practice, not just memorise them, the multiple choice question (MCQ) exam format I have used contained a typical practice scenario with a variety of possible options for action, with instructions for the student to select the “best” option. read more...

Dr. Jane Buxton and Erica Tsang
Jun 24, 2015

BC Take Home Naloxone Program

Opioid overdose is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and constitutes a serious public health issue. Throughout British Columbia (BC), the landscape of opioid overdose has evolved, first with oxycodone and more recently, illicit fentanyl. read more...

Dr. Kourosh Afshar
Jun 10, 2015

Role of imaging in management of undescended testis (UDT)

UDT is one of the common causes for referral to Pediatric Urologists. 1-2% of boys have UDT at age of 12 months. UDT is associated with increased risk of malignancy (relative risk 2.75-8). read more...

Dr. Mustafa Toma and Dr. Christopher Cheung
May 27, 2015

Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: The TOPCAT and ALDO-DHF trials

There are approximately 500,000 Canadians living with heart failure, and more than 10% in patients older than 65. Up to 50% of patients presenting with signs and symptoms of heart failure will have a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF or diastolic dysfunction). However, there is a lack of evidence for effective therapies in the management of HFpEF. read more...

Dr. Hamidreza Abdi and Dr. Peter Black
May 13, 2015

Evolving use of multi parametric MRI in prostate cancer detection

The prostate is the only organ in the body that is routinely biopsied blindly without visualization of a specific suspected tumour. MRI before prostate biopsy may become routine practice, which should reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies. read more...

Andrea Warnick
Apr 29, 2015

The unvoiced questions of children experiencing an illness, dying, or death in their family

Serious illness, dying, or death of a family member is one of the most significant life events a child will ever experience. I no longer wait for them to share their concerns and questions with me. I invite questions and address the grief. read more...

Dr. Susan Hollenberg
Apr 15, 2015

Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine

In December, 2013, Health Canada approved a 4- component Meningitis type B (4CMenB) vaccine. The vaccine approved in Canada utilizes technology based on ‘outer membrane vesicles. These are unique capsular identifiers that comprise fingerprints for a serogroup B strain. The challenge has been that over 8000 MenB strains exist! read more...

Dr. Deborah Altow
Apr 01, 2015

Why Am I Talking?

Dr. Deborah Altow (biography and disclosures) What I did before Like many teachers, I was seduced by the imperative to make sure my students gained the benefit of my experience, and thus I talked too much. I had always told my students that the two 4-letter words they needed most were KIND and WAIT. One […] read more...

Drs. Kam Shojania and Neda Amiri
Mar 31, 2015

Part 1: Diagnosing Gout in Primary Care Settings: Do we have to tap?

Gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis, affecting 1.4% of the population. Primary care physicians diagnose and manage most patients with gout. While the gold standard for diagnosing gout is visualization of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in joint fluid under polarization microscopy, this is not always the case. read more...

Dr. Daniel Dodek
Mar 18, 2015

This app changed my practice: Mindshift App

Mental health problems including anxiety, depression and stress make up a large proportion of a typical day in primary care medicine. They also contribute a huge comorbid burden in specialty care. These conditions all require an intense amount of time to help and manage patients. read more...

Dr. Amin Kanani
Mar 02, 2015

Does my patient have a food allergy?

Patients are often referred to determine if they have a food allergy. The prevalence of food allergy in Canada is 6.7%, however more than 20% on the population modifies their diet because of perceived food allergy. Approximately 85% of all food allergies are to peanut, tree nut, cow’s milk, egg, wheat, soy, sesame and seafood. read more...