What is the future of family medicine in Canada?
Family medicine is changing quickly across Canada, as nurses discharge patients from hospitals, emergency attendants are replacing doctors in community emergency centres, and pharmacists take care of vaccinations and prescription refills. While it may sound like those changes are freeing up a family doctor from “trivial” appointments, they’re actually making their job harder – and […]
Canadians ‘playing the waiting game’ for healthcare
If your family doctor decides you should have a colonoscopy for cancer screening, you may feel anxious thinking about the potential health issue. You may also worry about the procedure itself, and if you’ll feel much discomfort. But for one Nova Scotia patient, that’s nothing compared to the frustration he felt when the referral letter […]
Do U.S. physicians practicing in Canada need to worry about the IRS?
If you’re a U.S. physician living and working here in Canada, you might think Uncle Sam isn’t much of a concern. But what about the IRS? Can they force you to pay taxes to a country where you’re no longer living? More than one million U.S. citizens living in Canada are facing double tax troubles […]
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Doctors trained in LGBT health not always available
Many members of the LGBT community admit they avoid seeking medical attention because of fear of discrimination. But when they do decide to discuss an issue with a doctor, it’s quite possible that the doctor hasn’t been adequately trained to meet their needs. The results of a study at UCLA show that a “startling low” […]
Virtual healthcare programs growing rapidly
Telehealth services are still relatively new and controversial. There’s no denying the convenience of seeing a doctor virtually — no sitting in a waiting room, or even leaving the house — but there are also questions about the quality of care that can be obtained through a screen. But these programs are gaining traction throughout […]
Government regulation forcing family doctors out of Ontario
Michael Verbora has been completing his residency training with a family health team in Toronto for the last two years, but a new government maneuver won’t permit him to work there — or in Windsor, where he grew up. The provincial government had been trying to move away from the fee-for-service model that rushed patients […]
Tough for small communities to attract, retain physicians
Many rural areas find it difficult to attract doctors, but it can be even harder to keep them. The city of Powell River, B.C. has introduced a program called “A GP for Me,” which aims to help interested patients have access to a family doctor. There are close to 5,000 people in Powell River who […]
B.C. facing major family doctor shortage
Back in 2010, Health Minister Kevin Falcon announced that every British Columbia resident would have a family doctor by the year 2015. Yet today, more than 220,000 residents in B.C. still don’t have a family doctor. They rely on walk-in clinics for treatment, which means they face long line-ups and lack the continuity of care […]
A pharmacist responds to the notion of “playing doctor”
In pharmacist Andrew Schonbe’s response to a recent op-ed from Dr. Edwin Kruys, 5 little-known reasons why pharmacists should not be playing doctor, he fought back against Krys for “challenging progress and advancement in the expanded scope of pharmacy practice.” Schonbe described the piece as “alarming, albeit not surprising,” as well as “insulting” and “self-righteous,” […]
