Archive for November, 2009

Can studies of harm be harmful?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Medical Journal Club article for December 2, 2008: Can studies of harm be harmful? | Canadian Medical Association Journal - "Although rigorous randomized trials are required to demonstrate therapeutic efficacy, we usually have little choice but to resort to more biased observational study designs to investigate undesirable effects." What are folate antagonists?

The error of not measuring asthma

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Medical Journal Club article for November 18, 2008: The error of not measuring asthma | Canadian Medical Association Journal - "According to national and global health statistics, we are facing an asthma epidemic. The most recent epidemiologic data suggest that 300 million people worldwide have asthma, and the global burden is projected ...

Listeriosis is the least of it

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Medical Journal Club article for October 7, 2008: Listeriosis is the least of it | Canadian Medical Association Journal - "In August, Canada experienced the worst epidemic of listeriosis in the world. Contaminated cold cuts from a Toronto meat processing plant have, as of Sept. 12, 2008, killed at least 16 Canadians ...

Getting to the electronic medical record

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

Medical Journal Club article for February 26, 2008: Getting to the electronic medical record | Canadian Medical Association Journal - "Other than financing this system, concern about privacy and access seem to be among the major reasons why we still do not have electronic records generally available in this country." Garbage in, Garbage ...

Problem-based learning makes a difference

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

Medical Journal Club article for January 1, 2008: Problem-based learning makes a difference. But why? | Canadian Medical Association Journal - "Now that there is evidence in support of problem-based learning, the next step is to determine why the method works so that the potential benefits can be incorporated into the curricula ...

2009 Canadian Salt Lick Award

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

2009 Canadian “Salt Lick Award” goes to the country’s pizza producers.Advanced Foods and Materials Network.Consider these examples, based on a scan of nutritional information posted on pizza makers’ own websites:-Two slices (292 grams total) of a Pepperoni Lover’s large stuffed crust pizza at Pizza Hut contain 3,000 mg of sodium ...

Canadian Medical Competition Association

Friday, November 27th, 2009

After a trip to Europe, Canadian Medical Association President Dr. Robert Ouellet would like to see more competition in Canadian health care. [President's message].From the European Competition Commission...About cartels:"Cartels shield participants from competition allowing them to charge higher prices and removing the pressure on them to improve the products they ...

Gamete donors

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Sharing the Gift of Life - Canadian Health Magazine.The GIFT (Gamete intrafallopian transfer) of life is not always a gift in the U.S.

The Worth of Doing

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Worth doing - Canadian Family Physician, 2009 May. A letter with a quote from G.K. Chesterton. See The American Chesterton Society for an interpretation of: "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." Related Post: Lazy Family Physicians

Mooting the 3 year Family Medicine Residency

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

This month's debate is...Should family medicine residency be 3 years? -Can Fam Physician, April 2009.Yes according to Dr. François Lehmann, the Director of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Montreal (medfam).No according to Dr. Pierre Raîche, Director of Professional Training of the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du ...

Canadian Family Physician Journal – May 2008

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

The Canadian Family Physician Journal (Le Médecin de Famille Canadien). It is one of my favorite medical journals and it is bilingual (English-French). Time for a quick look at the May 2008 issue... On the cover... Blown away Advances in COPD management. -I hope it ...

Sleep Deprived Zombies?

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Sleepless in the surgical ward Must we keep depriving residents of sleep?- CMAJ, 2009 May 26.There is a lot of debate on reducing resident working hours. What about acute versus chronic sleep deprivation?Deep into Sleep -Havard Magazine, 2005 July-August."Doctors would keep humans awake for 48, 72, or even 96 hours, ...

Medical Scarcity and Alchemy

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

There are not enough doctors on planet earth! Do we need more doctors, working more hours per week, seeing more patients per hour, completing more tasks per patient encounter? Productivity v. Ingenuity Out With the Productivity Guru, In With the Alchemist image credit aussiegall

The Rejection of Family Medicine

Friday, November 13th, 2009

An editorial in L'Omni of the Montreal Association of General Practitioners (AMOM) by Dr. Asselin. Family medicine is going through hard times. Rejected by students in the last two years, 21 and 23% of residency positions were not filled in Quebec in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

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