Discussions

Embracing complexity: Challenges and opportunities of treating those with substance misuse and mental illness
Some patients present a major challenge—how can the system better support complex cases?
Sex matters in biomedical research: Many conditions affect men and women differently
Until recently, these studies hardly ever considered sex—the biological attributes of humans and animals—or gender, the socially constructed characteristics of men, women and gender-diverse people.

Bill 96: If you don’t want to do something, one reason is as good as another

The image of two fluent Punjabi speakers being forced to communicate in French because of government fiat strikes me as completely absurd, cruel and ultimately dangerous. In many ways this follows a pattern of the Legault government’s strategy.
How do we come back from a pandemic of misinformation?

I’ve had irate family members of patients whom I was calling to inform of a positive COVID test yelling at me over the phone that I should be ashamed that the medical community has “suppressed” ivermectin as a prophylactic and treatment drug. It’s gotten so bad that at least one spouse of a patient threatened to kill me if their spouse died of COVID.
Handling fear—carefully

Dr. Hector Baillie was well into residency when it happened. A patient with liver failure. Gastroenterologist unavailable but said, 'you’ll have to put down a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube, and call me back.'
Is your bias hurting patients?

I am a fat person, and what that means to me at the moment is that I cannot access needed medical care because of systemic weight bias.
Poll: Have you ever made a mistake that led to a change in procedures?

Take our weekly news poll and see what your colleagues say.
When a surgeon joins swim club

Dr. Ginevra Mills found that throughout her surgical training there was always plenty of 'constructive criticism' but not much positive feedback. Did that make her a good learner when she joined swim club?
Empowering Canadians to improve our healthcare system

Dr. Linda LeBlanc outlines concrete steps to improve patient responsibility in the healthcare system.
Link between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis is a crucial discovery for people living with MS

In a study published in the journal Science, researchers found that Epstein Barr virus (EBV)—the virus that causes mononucleosis—is also an environmental trigger for MS. EBV is common, with more than 95% of people being infected during their lifetime.