A new provincial policy is seeing the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) initiative expanding in Alberta. In particular, the policy addresses the use of restraints in all Alberta Health Services’ facilities and partners. The four types of restraints included in the policy are pharmacologic, mechanical, physical and environmental Click here to read more about “Restraints as a Last Resort” and other important topics in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) Winter 2016 Bulletin.
The following @Pts4Chg tweet has generated some good conversation and idea generation in the Twittersphere and beyond.
"'Once an addict decides to get care, they have to get in promptly — not four to six weeks…'" #opioid #yyc https://t.co/yrm8o4hhiy
— Patients 4 Change (@Pts4Chg) December 28, 2016
As one individual tweeted, “Problem needs a systems approach. A great opportunity for AHS innovation lab.”
If you have not read the article referred to in the tweet, you may wish to do so. (Thanks, Sandi, for bringing this news story to our attention.)
If you have been following the assisted dying discussion that is happening in Canada, you know that some patients have been denied medically assisted dying. The reason for this was not because the individuals failed to meet the necessary legal requirements, but because the hospitals/care facilities in which they found themselves would not provide the services to carry out the patients’ wishes.
In a recent article, André Picard argues that hospitals have no right to refuse a patient assisted dying. As he poignantly states:
It is reasonable for individual physicians and nurses to declare a conscientious objection and not participate in assisted death. But a hospital or nursing home has no such right. Publicly funded institutions cannot arbitrarily decide what services they will provide, nor should they be able to shunt dying patients around like sacks of rice.
Click here to read the full article.
Jewish people are traditionally wary of signing up to organ donation – but that may be changing.
Source: How Judaism’s definition of death can boost organ donations – BBC News
“Patient first” is a term that is often used in the health-care sector. However, are we first and foremost patients? Is that how we see ourselves?
According to Dr. Jordan Asher, he sees his patients differently. To him, he sees them as people first. “[I]n order for you to have a better health status, which includes healthcare, I need to think about you as a human being…We don’t look at people as diabetics; we look at them as people that have a bunch of life issues that happen to have diabetes.” How does this philosophy influence the manner in which Dr. Asher works with his patients? Click here to find out.
There is much discussion occurring in Canada and elsewhere around the issue of assisted dying. Not surprisingly, oft times, the conversation becomes a religious debate.
In a recent article found in the Globe and Mail, Jonathan Reggler, a general physician who makes daily patient visits to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox, B.C., took a stand against the hospital’s assisted-dying policy. While it is true that Catholic hospitals across the country are transferring patients who request assisted suicide to facilities where this can occur, the process can involve a great deal of emotional, mental and physical pain to the patient and his/her family. With such suffering being inflicted on the patient and the fact that the service requested is being carried out elsewhere, the question being asked is: Should faith-based hospitals should receive public funding? As Daphne Gilbert, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, states, “The Catholic hospitals have put themselves in a tricky position.” Click here to read the full article.
It is that time of year again – flu season. For many people, a related question often arises namely: “Should I get a flu shot or not?” For individuals who see getting a flu shot as beneficial to one’s health and well-being, the thought of doing otherwise can be deemed foolhardy. Essentially, the question is not, “Should I get a flu shot but rather why would I NOT get a flu shot?
In an online article entitled, “Here’s Why People Avoid The Flu Vaccine,” Jason Tetro identifies what he sees to be the underlying reason for vaccine avoidance. Click here to discover why only one third of Canadians get the flu shot.
What do Livongo, MyHealthTeams, Health Decision Technology, Wellness Layer and Sensely have in common? In addition to them all having an online presence, they are also focusing on chronic disease management. Key to this management, or more specifically self-management, is to help people with chronic diseases, or loved ones with such conditions, connect with others – patients, coaches, etc. Through these connections, the hope is that the financial and physical burden being experienced will be reversed or in someway lessened. Click here to discover more about these initiatives.
The term “patient engagement” is one that is frequently stated and bantered about. However, what does it really mean? Why is such engagement important? How can patient engagement be fostered and promoted, so it becomes more than a theoretical idea or ideology and something that is real and realized?
According to Dr. Anhalt, an individual who treats pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes and chief medical officer for T1D Exchange, patient engagement is critical. Among other things, it sees patients becoming engaged in their own care, resulting in living healthier lives and experiencing better outcomes. Based on this understanding, Dr. Anhalt discusses tips for successful patient engagement. They include: educating patient and families, encouraging patients to engage in their health outside of a doctor’s office and using all patient interactions as opportunities for learning. To read the full article, click here.
Does liking one’s job affect an individual’s sense of job satisfaction and morale? In particular, what is the relationship between liking one’s job, job satisfaction and morale for healthcare providers? What effect do these factors have on patient care?
Click here to read an online article that explores these and other related questions.
