There has been a lot of recent buzz and media attention around some proposed tax changes from the Canadian government. We’ve noticed that there is a lot of misconception and confusion regarding some of these changes, so we hope to provide some clarity into some of the issues as they affect small business and in particular, incorporated physicians. For the purposes of this article, the CanadiEM Editorial team has joined forces with Mrs. …
Bouncebacks: Much ado about nothing?
“Hey Doc, remember that patient you saw last night…?” That one phrase terrifies Emergency Room (ER) Physicians everywhere. There is such a strong negative connotation associated with “bounceback” visits to the ER. Historically, medicine has emphasized a culture of perfection, so a bounceback is often considered an significant failure, as it is unacceptable to miss a diagnosis. However, we’re entering a new era of medicine; we are seeing larger patient volumes, increased complexity …
Shared decision making
Resource utilization in medicine is becoming an increasingly critical issue (as also noted by the number of discussions we’ve had on it here at CanadiEM), and this acknowledgement is important. However, once we’ve accepted the harms (to the patient and system) with excessive over-utilization, we can begin to look at ways to address and optimize physician behaviour. There are many ways to approach the subject, and one that is often cited is Shared Decision Making …
The Opioid Crisis: Centre for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness Review
Editor’s Note: Dr. Carl Jarvis is an Emergency Medicine Physician, and a director for the Centre for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness (CEEP). Nationally, CEEP’s mandate is to support and inform structures and processes in ensuring an standard of excellence in health emergency preparedness. Most recently, the organization has taken to addressing the growing opioid crisis within our country, here Dr. Jarvis helps to provide some further insights to first line providers. Opioid crisis: why is it …
Resource utilization: why do we overdo it?
There is a plethora of evidence that suggests, as physicians we over-diagnose, over-treat and over-investigate illness, often with little benefit to patients. The idea of rationale resource utilization is beginning to gain momentum, with campaigns such as Choosing Wisely, advocating for physicians to use the best evidence available in their practice. In order to appreciate inappropriate resource utilization, physicians first need to be aware of why they’re over-investigating and any inherent biases they may have, …
Medical Coaching: Don Miguel Ruiz’s “Four Agreements”
In medicine and medical education, we’re often hyper-focused on medical content, rather than the art of medicine. I recently finished reading Don Miguel Ruiz’s book “The Four Agreements“1, and identified some excellent educational pearls for medical students, residents and practicing physicians; pertaining to self-awareness and belief systems. In his book (albeit with a rather religious theme) Ruiz walks the reader through what he calls the Four Agreements – contracts to make with oneself in order to …