Alberta’s medical laboratories have gone from public, to private, and back to public in less than one year. What has this back and forth action cost Albertans? This and other questions are explored in this CBC report.
Category Archives: Patient Voice
Amplifying the Patient’s Voice
Martha’s Rule is a new policy that aims to give patients and the patient’s families greater voice in the the care their loved one is receiving without the fear of retribution or the like. Had this rule existed in 2021, perhaps Martha’s outcome would have been very different.
As Martha’s mother said, “‘I desperately wish that I’d felt able, with no fear of being the target of ill-temper or condescension, to ask for a second opinion from outside the liver team when I became concerned about Martha’s deterioration.’”
Click here to read about Martha’s Rule.
An Important Meeting
“Alberta Health Services (AHS) is looking for ways in which it can prevent further closures at the Pincher Creek Health Centre’s emergency department.”
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Pincher Creek Community Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend. Click here for more information.
Without OB Services
What is it like to have no access to obstetric services? Join this discussion to find out.
There is a small grassroots organization in rural Alberta that is trying to improve access to OB care in their communities. Here is the information for their next meeting-community leaders are encouraged to join and listen to what living without access OB services is like. pic.twitter.com/fCcEqvctPC
— Andrea Dekeseredy (@AndieYEG) June 26, 2023
One a Day?
If you have time to read only one Twitter thread today, you might want to choose this one.
My views on covid seem to have become a bit, well—radical. Please allow me to explain. I did not start out radical. I am lucky to have a settled, establishment-adjacent, career. Three years ago, on the eve of the pandemic, I trusted the establishment. pic.twitter.com/PktHgac8M5
— Michael A Osborne (@maosbot) March 15, 2023
Not Believed
Oft times, the shortest tweets say the most.
Doctors still don't get how traumatizing it can be for patients to not be believed.
— Steven Phillips, MD (@StevePhillipsMD) January 13, 2023
What’s Really Happening in Hospitals?
It was a difficult decision for our family to share this story. My dad was a quiet, private person who didn't like the spotlight, and I worried about protecting his dignity while also making sure Albertans were told what is happening in our hospitals. https://t.co/7zo1kuIbL2
— Bridget Stirling (@bridgetstirling) July 29, 2022
Just Learn to Live With COVID?
As greater emphasis is being placed on “getting on with life” or at the very least “learning to live with COVID-19” people who are immunocompromised, disabled or have medical issues that put them or those they care for at risk are being isolated, alienated, ostracized and ignored by much of society. In an article entitled, “Those who are Disabled and Immunocompromised need to be supported, not ignored,” Eva Williams describes this new reality. According to her, “The way that vulnerable people are currently being treated is nothing short of barbaric.” Click here to read Williams’ article.
Feeling Left Behind?
Every so often there is a Twitter thread that is a definite must read. This thread by Katie Babcock is one of them. In addition to the thread, you might want to read the comments by fellow Twitter users as well.
A common theme in media is that vulnerable people “feel” left behind by the lack of COVID protections. We don’t feel left behind – we have been left behind and what being “left behind” means is that we’re either forced to isolate or forced into situations that could kill us. 🧵
— Katie Babcock (@katebabcock) July 13, 2022
Speaking Out
Here is a Twitter thread that expresses what many people are feeling.
I am so mad. So Mad. Our #abhealth system is beyond broken. A dear friend and new mom is needing transfer from a rural hospital to #RDRHC for a procedure. A very necessary procedure to remove excess fluid around her lungs. 1/5
— Tired AB Nurse Blocked by Kenney (@tired_albertan) July 3, 2022
