2020 has transformed the idea of remote work across industries. As healthcare providers we are lifelong learners, and our education is a substantial part of our work. This year has reaffirmed the importance of Open Educational Resources, and Free Open Access Medical Education, within our communities. The changing nature of the COVID-19 Pandemic has required a nimble and dynamic response to adapt to novel and rapidly-changing information. As you looked for trustworthy sources …
Virtual Retreat 2020: The Future of CanadiEM
On August 24, 2020 CanadiEM held its first ever virtual retreat. The goal was to conduct a formal needs assessment. In doing so, we can think about the direction of the organization and blog and to map out a vision for the future of CanadiEM. We also aimed to build connections with our members who are distributed around Canada and internationally, especially since in-person gatherings like conferences have been cancelled in light of …
Using quality appraisal techniques to find trustworthy content in the FOAM universe
The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the vast amount of information exchange that happens over the internet for healthcare providers. Learn to judge quality in Free Open Access Medical Education!
“Patient Satisfaction” – it’s bad for everyone
Higher patient satisfaction scores are linked to increased health care costs, and higher mortality1. Pause. Take a second, and re-read that last sentence. The follow up question is obvious – why would administrators push patient satisfaction if it results in worse outcomes? This post seeks to delve into the harms of targeting patient satisfaction, why it appears to be done, and the importance of speaking to our administrators in order to advocate on …
Lessons from NASA – How to Become an Expert Clinician
In medicine, we often draw some of our lessons on safety from the aviation industry (i.e.: preoperative checklists), here we will explore a host of pearls that medicine can learn from the brilliant minds at NASA to help augment one’s practice as an expert clinician. Commander Chris Hadfield has previously discussed a riveting tale regarding his first ever space walk1. During his mission, he was tasked with helping to assemble the Canada 2 …
“Allergies” – Sometimes they’re real, but usually they’re not
How often have you seen a patient with more documented allergies than medications they’re taking? Commonly; patient’s will often suggest that they are allergic to medications like sulfa, penicillin, codeine and morphine in the Emergency Department. We often think for a moment, and prescribe something different – but I’d like to argue that this line of thinking is far more harmful than we think, and is doing our patients and the healthcare system …