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Tiny Tips: The COWS Scale

In Tiny Tips, TipsForEMExams by Isabelle GrayLeave a Comment

As the opiate crisis continues to escalate, emergency departments are seeing higher numbers of patients with complaints and complications related to opiate use disorder. There is strong evidence for opiate agonist treatment in preventing opiate related deaths. Additionally, Suboxone (buprenorphine-naloxone) is the recommended first line treatment.​1​ Suboxone Treatment For a full Suboxone start, a patient is required to be in moderate withdrawal, meaning a Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) score of greater than …

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Introducing the CanadiEM Junior Learner Primer App

In Education & Quality Improvement by Vincent LiLeave a Comment

We’ve developed the CanadiEM Junior Learner Primer App to help support junior medical learners during their emergency medicine rotations. In the fast-paced environment of emergency medicine, learners can often find themselves overwhelmed when faced with the acuity as well as the wide variety of cases. Communication and time management skills requirements can also be very different when compared to other specialities. To help make emergency rotations easier and more meaningful, we have created …

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HiQuiPs: Consent in Quality Improvement

In Education & Quality Improvement, HiQuiPs by Sarah TosoniLeave a Comment

You’re ready to start a quality improvement (QI) project aimed at improving the effectiveness of the communication surrounding patient prognosis by providers. Your Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles involve retrospective chart reviews, surveys with patients to understand their experiences, and 1:1 key informant interviews with inter-disciplinary staff members in your department. You’ve learned about navigating ethics in quality improvement , and have reached out to your institution’s Research Ethics Board or QI leadership to determine the process …

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HiQuiPS: Virtual Care and Inequity Part 2 – Bridging the Digital Divide

In Education & Quality Improvement, Featured, HiQuiPs by Tayler YoungLeave a Comment

You are a Nurse Practitioner who has educated yourself about Canada’s digital divide through personal research and interactions with your own patients. Now that you have a grasp on the source of the problem, you begin to search for solutions. You scour the internet for various services that will provide your patients with access to devices, internet services, and provide technology teachings. Welcome to Part 2 of our Virtual Care and Equity series …

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HiQuiPs: Virtual Care and Equity Part 1- Introduction to Digital Inequity

In Education & Quality Improvement, Featured, HiQuiPs by Tayler YoungLeave a Comment

You are a Nurse Practitioner with a practice in a COVID-19 hotspot. The pandemic has forced you to transition into providing virtual care. You are wrapping up your last telemedicine visit of the morning. Your patient is an 80-year-old Chinese female with a possible skin infection. Her granddaughter is with her and translates for you as you run through your HPI questions. Your patient’s granddaughter has a smart phone, and she positions the …

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HiQuiPs: Expert’s Corner – Dr. Aikta Verma on Quality Improvement Leadership

In Education & Quality Improvement, HiQuiPs by Matthew Hacker TeperLeave a Comment

HiQuiPs is back with another installment of Expert’s Corner! For this post, we had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Aikta Verma about quality improvement (QI) and quality culture in the Emergency Department (ED).  Dr. Verma is the Chief of the Department of Emergency Services at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She completed a Masters of Health Sciences in Health Administration with a specific interest in QI. She is also an Assistant Professor at …