CMAJ NEWS

Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. June 1, 2021. A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. Is Canada warming up to “vaccine passports”? MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA ABANDONS CONTROVERSIAL EXAM 10 hours ago · The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) has scrapped a controversial medical licensing exam after repeated cancellations and technical difficulties during the pandemic. FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

IS CANADA WARMING UP TO “VACCINE PASSPORTS”? As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up across Canada, the idea of easing some pandemic restrictions based on immunity or vaccination status appears to be gaining traction. PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. HOW CAN CLINICIANS COUNTER VIRAL MISINFORMATION? Viral misinformation has long posed a threat to public health, but the pandemic put a spotlight on the problem, said experts at the Canadian Immunization Conference last winter. According to Phillip Mai, co-director of Ryerson University’s social media lab, people over 55 are most prone to fall for and share misinformation. NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

CMAJ NEWS

Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. June 1, 2021. A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. Is Canada warming up to “vaccine passports”? MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA ABANDONS CONTROVERSIAL EXAM 10 hours ago · The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) has scrapped a controversial medical licensing exam after repeated cancellations and technical difficulties during the pandemic. FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

IS CANADA WARMING UP TO “VACCINE PASSPORTS”? As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up across Canada, the idea of easing some pandemic restrictions based on immunity or vaccination status appears to be gaining traction. PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. HOW CAN CLINICIANS COUNTER VIRAL MISINFORMATION? Viral misinformation has long posed a threat to public health, but the pandemic put a spotlight on the problem, said experts at the Canadian Immunization Conference last winter. According to Phillip Mai, co-director of Ryerson University’s social media lab, people over 55 are most prone to fall for and share misinformation. NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

IS CANADA WARMING UP TO “VACCINE PASSPORTS”? As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up across Canada, the idea of easing some pandemic restrictions based on immunity or vaccination status appears to be gaining traction. PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. FEDS SIGN OFF ON MIXING AND MATCHING COVID-19 VACCINES Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. People who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should be offered a second dose of the same product, or one of the Pfizer or Moderna shots, according to new advice from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). HOW CAN CANADA IMPROVE WORSENING WAIT TIMES? The interconnectedness of all the sectors in healthcare has been underappreciated, and siloed funding has inhibited the kinds of cross-sector discussions which could improve patient flow. A lot of people still manage waitlists as a stack of paper on the side of their desks, which leads to inefficiency. SHOULD CANADA’S APPROACH TO COVID-19 AND KIDS CHANGE WITH Around the same time, Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table reported that variants of concern accounted for two-thirds of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the province, and were associated with a 103% increased risk of admission to intensive care and a 56% increased risk of death from COVID-19. More recently, Alberta reported 175 DOCTORS WARN OF LATE DIAGNOSES AS CANCER SCREENING BACKLOG In the case of screening mammograms, service disruptions contributed to a shortfall of more than 152,000 screens between March 15 and May 31, 2020, compared with the previous year. By December, the backlog had doubled to more than 300,000 missed screening mammograms. That number is likely higher now – provincial officials say screening is MEDICAL TRAINING REMAINS A BARRIER TO STARTING Medical training remains a barrier to starting a family. Women in medicine have children later than the general public, but eventually catch up after training. Women in medicine wait much longer to have children than those pursuing other careers but close that gap quickly once their training is completed, according to a recent study in JAMA INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

CMAJ NEWS

Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. June 1, 2021. A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. Is Canada warming up to “vaccine passports”? CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

IS CANADA WARMING UP TO “VACCINE PASSPORTS”? As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up across Canada, the idea of easing some pandemic restrictions based on immunity or vaccination status appears to be gaining traction. FEDS SIGN OFF ON MIXING AND MATCHING COVID-19 VACCINES Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. People who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should be offered a second dose of the same product, or one of the Pfizer or Moderna shots, according to new advice from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

MEDICAL TRAINING REMAINS A BARRIER TO STARTING Medical training remains a barrier to starting a family. Women in medicine have children later than the general public, but eventually catch up after training. Women in medicine wait much longer to have children than those pursuing other careers but close that gap quickly once their training is completed, according to a recent study in JAMA NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

CMAJ NEWS

Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. June 1, 2021. A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. Is Canada warming up to “vaccine passports”? CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

IS CANADA WARMING UP TO “VACCINE PASSPORTS”? As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up across Canada, the idea of easing some pandemic restrictions based on immunity or vaccination status appears to be gaining traction. FEDS SIGN OFF ON MIXING AND MATCHING COVID-19 VACCINES Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. People who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should be offered a second dose of the same product, or one of the Pfizer or Moderna shots, according to new advice from Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

MEDICAL TRAINING REMAINS A BARRIER TO STARTING Medical training remains a barrier to starting a family. Women in medicine have children later than the general public, but eventually catch up after training. Women in medicine wait much longer to have children than those pursuing other careers but close that gap quickly once their training is completed, according to a recent study in JAMA CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

IS CANADA WARMING UP TO “VACCINE PASSPORTS”? As COVID-19 vaccinations ramp up across Canada, the idea of easing some pandemic restrictions based on immunity or vaccination status appears to be gaining traction. HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW COVID-19 VARIANTS What’s important to know about the new COVID-19 variants? New variants of SARS-CoV-2 identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa have led to escalating infections, lockdowns and travel restrictions. On September 20, a new SARS-CoV-2 variant, called B117, was first identified in Greater London in England among a large number

of new cases.

DOCTORS WARN OF LATE DIAGNOSES AS CANCER SCREENING BACKLOG In the case of screening mammograms, service disruptions contributed to a shortfall of more than 152,000 screens between March 15 and May 31, 2020, compared with the previous year. By December, the backlog had doubled to more than 300,000 missed screening mammograms. That number is likely higher now – provincial officials say screening is HOW CAN CANADA IMPROVE WORSENING WAIT TIMES? The interconnectedness of all the sectors in healthcare has been underappreciated, and siloed funding has inhibited the kinds of cross-sector discussions which could improve patient flow. A lot of people still manage waitlists as a stack of paper on the side of their desks, which leads to inefficiency. MEDICAL TRAINING REMAINS A BARRIER TO STARTING Medical training remains a barrier to starting a family. Women in medicine have children later than the general public, but eventually catch up after training. Women in medicine wait much longer to have children than those pursuing other careers but close that gap quickly once their training is completed, according to a recent study in JAMA INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

UNPACKING “LONG COVID” Unpacking “long COVID”. Terry Murray | Toronto, Ont. | February 11, 2021. Experts met recently to define COVID-19’s long-term consequences, but a global consensus may take time to pin down. Experts at a recent World Health Organization meeting warned that the long-term complications of COVID-19, known as “long COVID” or post

COVID-19

NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

HOW CAN CANADA IMPROVE WORSENING WAIT TIMES? The interconnectedness of all the sectors in healthcare has been underappreciated, and siloed funding has inhibited the kinds of cross-sector discussions which could improve patient flow. A lot of people still manage waitlists as a stack of paper on the side of their desks, which leads to inefficiency. HOW WORK HOURS AFFECT MEDICAL RESIDENT PERFORMANCE AND The difference between 80 hours and 100 hours per week which residents could have worked before the reforms, is unlikely to make much of a change in learning, either positive or negative, he said. Dr. Kevin Imrie, physician-in-chief at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and cochair of the Fatigue Risk Management Taskforce, said the new study CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

CHALLENGES OF TREATING CHRONIC Primary care providers who treat patients with chronic pain appear to be exhibiting signs of burnout, in large part because they often feel unable to help patients overcome their complex challenges. This was a conclusion of the authors of a recent paper in PLoS ONE based on interviews with 19 doctors and 8 nurses in primary care, supplemented PRESERVING THE HUMAN TOUCH IN MEDICINE IN A DIGITAL AGE W hen a doctor at California’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Center used a rolling video-technology “robot” to inform a patient that he was dying, the story went viral. The coldness of the delivery sparked outrage, but it also touched off a valuable debate on the importance of preserving a human presence in medicine and how to safeguard compassion in the telemedicine age. FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

UNPACKING “LONG COVID” Unpacking “long COVID”. Terry Murray | Toronto, Ont. | February 11, 2021. Experts met recently to define COVID-19’s long-term consequences, but a global consensus may take time to pin down. Experts at a recent World Health Organization meeting warned that the long-term complications of COVID-19, known as “long COVID” or post

COVID-19

NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

HOW CAN CANADA IMPROVE WORSENING WAIT TIMES? The interconnectedness of all the sectors in healthcare has been underappreciated, and siloed funding has inhibited the kinds of cross-sector discussions which could improve patient flow. A lot of people still manage waitlists as a stack of paper on the side of their desks, which leads to inefficiency. HOW WORK HOURS AFFECT MEDICAL RESIDENT PERFORMANCE AND The difference between 80 hours and 100 hours per week which residents could have worked before the reforms, is unlikely to make much of a change in learning, either positive or negative, he said. Dr. Kevin Imrie, physician-in-chief at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and cochair of the Fatigue Risk Management Taskforce, said the new study CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

CHALLENGES OF TREATING CHRONIC Primary care providers who treat patients with chronic pain appear to be exhibiting signs of burnout, in large part because they often feel unable to help patients overcome their complex challenges. This was a conclusion of the authors of a recent paper in PLoS ONE based on interviews with 19 doctors and 8 nurses in primary care, supplemented PRESERVING THE HUMAN TOUCH IN MEDICINE IN A DIGITAL AGE W hen a doctor at California’s Kaiser Permanente Medical Center used a rolling video-technology “robot” to inform a patient that he was dying, the story went viral. The coldness of the delivery sparked outrage, but it also touched off a valuable debate on the importance of preserving a human presence in medicine and how to safeguard compassion in the telemedicine age.

CMAJ NEWS

Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. June 1, 2021. A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. Is Canada warming up to “vaccine passports”? CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 4 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 29 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. HOW CAN CANADA IMPROVE WORSENING WAIT TIMES? The interconnectedness of all the sectors in healthcare has been underappreciated, and siloed funding has inhibited the kinds of cross-sector discussions which could improve patient flow. A lot of people still manage waitlists as a stack of paper on the side of their desks, which leads to inefficiency. CONTROVERSIAL MEDICAL LICENSING Controversial medical licensing exam cancelled with two days’ notice. The last-minute cancellation of the MCCEQ II will leave many newly graduated doctors in licensing limbo. The Medical Council of Canada has called off an in-person medical licensing exam amid mounting safety concerns and questions about the exam’s relevance. WHEN PATIENTS MISS APPOINTMENTS, EVERYONE PAYS Costs can add up quickly, too. Although most doctors aren’t compensated for their time when patients don’t show up, according to a 2016 review, some primary care networks in Alberta paid specialists more than $200 per hour for no-show appointments. Some clinics have found ways to reduce disruption from no-shows and late cancellations. INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

CHALLENGES OF TREATING CHRONIC Primary care providers who treat patients with chronic pain appear to be exhibiting signs of burnout, in large part because they often feel unable to help patients overcome their complex challenges. This was a conclusion of the authors of a recent paper in PLoS ONE based on interviews with 19 doctors and 8 nurses in primary care, supplemented POORLY MANAGED CHILDHOOD PAIN CAN HAVE LIFELONG Research suggests unchecked childhood pain can delay healing, alter brain development, lead to chronic pain and increase the risk of opioid addiction later in life. Pediatric pain has historically been managed poorly compared to adult pain, says Chambers. Although we have moved on from the dark days of not even anesthetizing babies

undergoing

CMAJ NEWSNEWS ARCHIVEHEALTH NEWS RECAP Mar 19, 2021. The passage of Bill C7 opens up access to medical aid in dying, along with new challenges for health professionals. Canadian physicians frustrated with vaccine rollout. Mar 11, 2021. Three in five physicians surveyed by the Canadian Medical Association FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

HOW WORK HOURS AFFECT MEDICAL RESIDENT PERFORMANCE AND The difference between 80 hours and 100 hours per week which residents could have worked before the reforms, is unlikely to make much of a change in learning, either positive or negative, he said. Dr. Kevin Imrie, physician-in-chief at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and cochair of the Fatigue Risk Management Taskforce, said the new study ARE FEES FOR CATARACT SURGERY STILL TOO HIGH? The negotiated fees paid to ophthalmologists for cataract surgery hover around $400 across the country, but they have been falling. Rocha says the fee in Manitoba has decreased by about 10% over the past 20 years, while fees in Ontario have fallen by 25%. Cuts like these will hurt recruitment and retention of doctors, he says. SPIKE IN E-SCOOTER INJURIES LINKED TO RIDE-SHARE BOOM A recent study published in JAMA Surgery found the annual number of e-scooter injuries in the United States climbed 222% from 4,582 in 2014, when there were no scooter ride-share companies, to 14,651 in 2018, when rentals took off in North America and Europe. The rate of injuries increased, too, from 6 per 100,000 people to 19 per 100,000

people.

IS IT EVER ETHICAL FOR DOCTORS TO DIAGNOSE PATIENTS THEY Kim Jong-un’s mental state has almost certainly been opined upon by psychiatrists, he said. When a judge requests a psychiatric assessment of a person whom the psychiatrist hasn’t met, the assessment relies on materials collected by others. But in such cases, the limitations of the evaluations are understood, said Mulsant. CMAJ NEWSNEWS ARCHIVEHEALTH NEWS RECAP Mar 19, 2021. The passage of Bill C7 opens up access to medical aid in dying, along with new challenges for health professionals. Canadian physicians frustrated with vaccine rollout. Mar 11, 2021. Three in five physicians surveyed by the Canadian Medical Association FEDS UPDATE IMMUNIZATION ADVICE Feds update immunization advice with Moderna vaccine approval. National recommendations on COVID-19 immunizations now include guidance on the safety, efficacy and use of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are similar enough that you can swap them in a pinch, according to the latest guidance from

Canada’s

HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. NEW NATIONAL CONSORTIUM TO TACKLE ANTI-INDIGENOUS RACISM Diana Duong | CMAJ | February 19, 2021. A new Indigenous-led consortium will work together on anti-racism efforts across Canada’s medical schools. Indigenous medical leaders across Canada have formed a national consortium on Indigenous medical education to collaborate on anti-racist reforms and culturally safe care. For years, this work

has

INDIGENOUS YOUTH CO-DEVELOP A NEW WAY TO MEASURE THEIR Indigenous communities across Canada are adapting a new way of measuring child and youth wellbeing with a tool co-designed by Indigenous youth. Those behind the tool say Indigenous-developed health measures are desperately lacking, although vitally important as communities continue to contend with the mental health fallout of

colonization.

HOW WORK HOURS AFFECT MEDICAL RESIDENT PERFORMANCE AND The difference between 80 hours and 100 hours per week which residents could have worked before the reforms, is unlikely to make much of a change in learning, either positive or negative, he said. Dr. Kevin Imrie, physician-in-chief at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and cochair of the Fatigue Risk Management Taskforce, said the new study ARE FEES FOR CATARACT SURGERY STILL TOO HIGH? The negotiated fees paid to ophthalmologists for cataract surgery hover around $400 across the country, but they have been falling. Rocha says the fee in Manitoba has decreased by about 10% over the past 20 years, while fees in Ontario have fallen by 25%. Cuts like these will hurt recruitment and retention of doctors, he says. SPIKE IN E-SCOOTER INJURIES LINKED TO RIDE-SHARE BOOM A recent study published in JAMA Surgery found the annual number of e-scooter injuries in the United States climbed 222% from 4,582 in 2014, when there were no scooter ride-share companies, to 14,651 in 2018, when rentals took off in North America and Europe. The rate of injuries increased, too, from 6 per 100,000 people to 19 per 100,000

people.

IS IT EVER ETHICAL FOR DOCTORS TO DIAGNOSE PATIENTS THEY Kim Jong-un’s mental state has almost certainly been opined upon by psychiatrists, he said. When a judge requests a psychiatric assessment of a person whom the psychiatrist hasn’t met, the assessment relies on materials collected by others. But in such cases, the limitations of the evaluations are understood, said Mulsant. CMAJ NEWS – PAGE 3 CMAJ News publishes original medical journalism for and about Canadian health professionals and patients, edited by journalists and

clinicians.

ARCHIVES | CMAJ NEWS Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain. by CMAJ News | Jun 1, 2021 | Archive, Diana Duong, Latest. Feds sign off on mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines, but evidence gaps remain Diana Duong | CMAJ | June 1, 2021 A first AstraZeneca shot may be followed by an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to new guidance. PANDEMIC AMPLIFIES CALLS FOR Pandemic amplifies calls for alternative payment models. The slowdown in patients and procedures due to COVID-19 is hitting some doctors harder than others. Doctors who depend on fee-for-service payments have seen their incomes drop considerably during the pandemic, while those paid under other models have been relatively unscathed. SHOULD CANADA’S APPROACH TO COVID-19 AND KIDS CHANGE WITH Around the same time, Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table reported that variants of concern accounted for two-thirds of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the province, and were associated with a 103% increased risk of admission to intensive care and a 56% increased risk of death from COVID-19. More recently, Alberta reported 175 HOSPITALS GRAPPLING WITH NURSE EXODUS Hospitals grappling with nurse exodus. Emergency departments are struggling to retain and replace experienced nurses. As Canada faces its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced nurses are leaving emergency departments for less demanding positions or retiring early. In the fourth quarter of 2020, job vacancies in Canada’s

health care

UNPACKING “LONG COVID” Unpacking “long COVID”. Terry Murray | Toronto, Ont. | February 11, 2021. Experts met recently to define COVID-19’s long-term consequences, but a global consensus may take time to pin down. Experts at a recent World Health Organization meeting warned that the long-term complications of COVID-19, known as “long COVID” or post

COVID-19

WHAT ABOUT THE WAIT TIMES CANADA ISN’T TRACKING? Similarly, British Columbia monitors all surgical wait times but doesn’t track non-surgical waits. Nova Scotia tracks and publicly reports the widest range of wait times of any province, including average non-surgical waits. The government’s website reports that 50% of patients see a neurologist within 98 days, while 90% see

someone within

CANADA WILL HAVE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE BY Canada will have three-digit suicide prevention hotline by 2023. A national suicide prevention service will provide 24/7/365 crisis support. Sixteen people in Bill Pringle’s life have died by suicide – four in the past year alone. The 62-year-old Saskatoon man has himself attempted suicide eight times. He says that easy access to

suicide

HOW CAN CANADA SAFEGUARD THOSE MARGINALIZED BY SOCIETY AS Downie agrees that the expansion of MAID should be paired with “improving access to mental health services and support for people with disabilities.”. However, she and others note that Canada’s assessment process appears to be working well screening people for the service. “The process already protects people,” says Helen Long,

CEO of

SHOULD MEDICAL ERRORS EVER BE In Canada, cases involving medical errors similar to Bawa-Garba’s case would be “dealt with in the tort law system it would not go into criminal law context,” said Berger. Dr. Albert Wu, a general internist in Baltimore, Maryland, who studies adverse events and quality improvement, agreed that criminal changes are unfair in cases

of

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* News archive

* 10 Health Stories that Mattered This Week

* Contact CMAJ

HEALTH STORIES THAT MATTERED THIS YEAR

Dec 23, 2019

With greater awareness of burnout in medicine in 2019, focus shifted to the workplace conditions undermining physician health. CONTINUITY OF CARE POLICY EXPOSES FAULT LINES IN THE MEDICAL

PROFESSION

Dec 19, 2019

Referrals remain a point of contention between specialists and referring physicians despite new guidance. BREAST DENSITY DISCLOSURE MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Dec 12, 2019

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?

Dec 11, 2019

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?

Dec 5, 2019

Embracing artificial intelligence may deepen discrimination in health

care, experts warn.

WHAT’S DRIVING THE GENDER PAY GAP IN MEDICINE?

Dec 4, 2019

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

Nov 28, 2019

How doctors are paid matters as much as how much, an expert panel

warns.

MEDICAL TRAINEES WARN PRACTICE PERMITS WILL DRIVE AWAY DOCTORS

Nov 21, 2019

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?

Nov 18, 2019

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

Nov 13, 2019

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

Nov 12, 2019

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

Nov 6, 2019

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome causes abdominal pain and repeated

vomiting.

DOCTORS DISSATISFIED WITH MEDICAL CAREERS AT HIGH RISK OF BURNOUT

Nov 4, 2019

Workplace stressors are strong predictors of burnout and depression

among physicians.

SOME DOCTORS UNSURE HOW TO HANDLE UNDOCUMENTED PATIENTS

Oct 30, 2019

Undocumented immigrants face administrative and financial barriers to care that doctors may not realize. WHAT’S THE HOLD UP ON NATIONAL LICENSING FOR DOCTORS?

Oct 29, 2019

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

Oct 23, 2019

Dr. Linda Leblanc started a petition called “Justice for Ezekiel

Stephan”.

WHY HEALTH PROMISES DON’T WIN FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Oct 20, 2019

Canadians say they care about health care but it seldom determines how

they vote.

LIBERALS PROMISE FAMILY DOCTORS FOR ALL BUT IS IT REALISTIC?

Oct 17, 2019

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?

Oct 15, 2019

Some doctors are worried about the effects on pregnancy of long hours

and night shifts.

HOW “DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS” DIFFER FROM TRADITIONAL HEALTH AND

WELLNESS APPS

Oct 10, 2019

Digital therapeutic products are more sophisticated than simple health

tracking apps.

MEDICAL STUDENTS GIVE LOWER MARKS TO TRAINING IN SOME SPECIALTIES

Oct 9, 2019

More than 1 in 10 graduating medical students ranked their training in obstetrics, surgery, pediatrics and psychiatry as fair or poor. ARE FEES FOR CATARACT SURGERY STILL TOO HIGH?

Oct 8, 2019

Technology costs have risen for ophthalmologists who perform cataract surgeries, but so has efficiency, productivity and surgeon incomes. HEALTH STORIES THAT MATTERED THIS YEAR

Dec 23, 2019

With greater awareness of burnout in medicine in 2019, focus shifted to the workplace conditions undermining physician health. CONTINUITY OF CARE POLICY EXPOSES FAULT LINES IN THE MEDICAL

PROFESSION

Dec 19, 2019

Referrals remain a point of contention between specialists and referring physicians despite new guidance. BREAST DENSITY DISCLOSURE MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Dec 12, 2019

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?

Dec 11, 2019

A Saskatchewan study shows the province’s teletriage service sent only one in five callers to emergency departments in Saskatoon.

HEALTH NEWS RECAP

Dec 20, 2019

A new federal health mandate, concern over cannabis vapes, and a major cyberattack in this week’s top Canadian health news. AI IN HEALTH CARE: IMPROVING OUTCOMES OR THREATENING EQUITY?

Dec 5, 2019

Embracing artificial intelligence may deepen discrimination in health

care, experts warn.

WHAT’S DRIVING THE GENDER PAY GAP IN MEDICINE?

Dec 4, 2019

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

Nov 28, 2019

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

Nov 27, 2019

Only a handful of doctors in Saskatchewan’s north prescribe opioid agonist therapies like methadone.

MORE CMAJ NEWS

For more health care news — plus research, analysis, commentary and more — please visit:

CMAJ.CA

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