Health stories that mattered this year
With greater awareness of burnout in medicine in 2019, focus shifted to the workplace conditions undermining physician health.
CMAJ drops paywall
All new CMAJ content is now freely accessible to everyone.
Fitness advice ignores realities of life on the margins
Most Canadians don’t follow physical activity guidelines, but for those struggling to make ends meet, it’s not only a matter of motivation.
How hospitals can protect themselves from cyber attack
Recent ransomware attacks exposed cracks in healthcare cybersecurity.
Continuity of care policy exposes fault lines in the medical profession
Referrals remain a point of contention between specialists and referring physicians despite new guidance.
Breast density disclosure may do more harm than good
A move to share breast density information along with mammogram results may be more advocacy-based than evidence-based, some researchers warn.
Telephone triage hotlines: Effective screen or open gate?
A Saskatchewan study shows the province’s teletriage service sent only one in five callers to emergency departments in Saskatoon.
What’s driving the gender pay gap in medicine?
From the United Kingdom to the United States, female physicians across the Western world are making less than men in the same roles.
Why the future of health care is salaried
How doctors are paid matters as much as how much, an expert panel warns.
Too few doctors prepared to provide opioid addiction treatment in the north
Only a handful of doctors in Saskatchewan’s north prescribe opioid agonist therapies like methadone.
Medical trainees warn practice permits will drive away doctors
A proposal to control where doctors work won’t improve access for rural Albertans, argue medical students and resident physicians.
Coupons for healthcare a sign of creeping privatization?
Some private clinics are offering US-style Groupon deals to the dismay of advocates for Canada’s public healthcare system.
Canada’s health system is among the least green
Health sector pollution is an important contributor to climate change and poor health outcomes, according to a new policy brief.
Some provinces still delay access to health records via patient portals
Depending on where you live in Canada, it can take days or weeks for test results to show up in your online health record.
Nausea-inducing illness caused by cannabis still underdiagnosed
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome causes abdominal pain and repeated vomiting.
Doctors dissatisfied with medical careers at high risk of burnout
Workplace stressors are strong predictors of burnout and depression among physicians.
Some doctors unsure how to handle undocumented patients
Undocumented immigrants face administrative and financial barriers to care that doctors may not realize.
What’s the hold up on national licensing for doctors?
Canada’s medical licensing rules require doctors to undergo onerous, costly applications to work in other provinces or territories.
Doctors urge courts to protect children from parental negligence
Dr. Linda Leblanc started a petition called “Justice for Ezekiel Stephan”.
Why health promises don’t win federal elections
Canadians say they care about health care but it seldom determines how they vote.
Liberals promise family doctors for all but is it realistic?
Providing a family physician for every Canadian would be a difficult feat to accomplish, say health workforce experts.
Is the culture of medicine contributing to miscarriages among female physicians?
Some doctors are worried about the effects on pregnancy of long hours and night shifts.
Health stories that mattered this year
With greater awareness of burnout in medicine in 2019, focus shifted to the workplace conditions undermining physician health.
CMAJ drops paywall
All new CMAJ content is now freely accessible to everyone.
Fitness advice ignores realities of life on the margins
Most Canadians don’t follow physical activity guidelines, but for those struggling to make ends meet, it’s not only a matter of motivation.
How hospitals can protect themselves from cyber attack
Recent ransomware attacks exposed cracks in healthcare cybersecurity.
Health News Recap
A ruling on vaccination standoffs, consultations on expanding assisted death, and overcrowding woes feature in this week’s top Canadian health news.
Continuity of care policy exposes fault lines in the medical profession
Referrals remain a point of contention between specialists and referring physicians despite new guidance.
Breast density disclosure may do more harm than good
A move to share breast density information along with mammogram results may be more advocacy-based than evidence-based, some researchers warn.
Telephone triage hotlines: Effective screen or open gate?
A Saskatchewan study shows the province’s teletriage service sent only one in five callers to emergency departments in Saskatoon.
AI in health care: improving outcomes or threatening equity?
Embracing artificial intelligence may deepen discrimination in health care, experts warn.
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