Discussions

Swabbing floors to detect COVID-19 could be a useful indicator of the disease’s spread
Omicron spreads so quickly that it is no longer feasible to use individual testing to track how many people are infected in a population. And that means we no longer have the basic information we need to inform public health mitigation policies. New strategies for keeping tabs on the virus are needed.
Vaccine hesitancy: Why ‘doing your own research’ doesn’t work, but reason alone won’t change minds
Earlier last fall, a celebrity's COVID-19 vaccine comments drew a lot of—divided—attention. In September, when Nicki Minaj tweeted about her cousin in Trinidad, some ridiculed it, while others—including the White House—offered to put her in touch with medical experts who could correct her misconceptions. Both types of response are equally futile.

Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva’s drug test: The substances and their potential performance effects

As the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics, 15-year-old Kamila Valieva became instantly famous. She also helped Russia win a gold medal in the team figure skating event. Then it was revealed her December 2021 drug testing sample had found trimetazidine, a banned substance according to the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Incorporation: Understand the disadvantages before you incorporate your medical practice

Often, in the rush to incorporate, I find the downside of medical incorporation can either be glossed over by advisors, not well understood by physicians, or both.
Reflections on gratitude and the unexpected

Accept rather than resist the unexpected—that's the lesson that came to Dr. Ginevra Mills on a beach in February.
Poll: How much do you charge for lawyer’s letters?

Take our weekly physician poll and see what you colleagues say about this topic.
Medical extortion? Breaking down the barriers

A large part of my medical practice involves men’s sexual health. There is a small grouping of men who come in with an agenda and are rigid in their expectations of what I should do for them. They are generally obsessive and their concerns are unusually intense and urgent (to them). They can be demanding and threatening.
Addressing the global antiviral deficit

In the rush to acquire vaccines, Canada overlooked the need to simultaneously create an antiviral development strategy. We need to make up for lost time.
Physician tips: How not to get yourself sued

I’ve been sued just once in 49 years, during which time I’ve been involved in over 700,000 patient interactions. Am I smart? Not particularly. Am I lucky? Yes. Am I well organized? Yes.
The Swiss cheese holes

It was our sixth code in a week. This is unusually high at our small community hospital. Sometimes the ‘holes ’ lineup and things go very wrong.
The double-edged sword of primary care reform in Quebec, redux

Quebec made some good decisions about primary care IT but bureaucratic meddling has led to uneven access to FPs, argues Dr. Mark Roper.
I’m an addiction researcher and therapist. Here’s why promoting sober ‘dry months’ bothers me

On the surface, “dry” months are great—individuals set a personal goal to abstain from drinking, are publicly encouraged to achieve it and raise funds for a charity. It can be seen as supportive and positive, and many individuals tout the health benefits they experience as a result.

Swabbing floors to detect COVID-19 could be a useful indicator of the disease’s spread

Vaccine hesitancy: Why ‘doing your own research’ doesn’t work, but reason alone won’t change minds

Russian Olympic figure skater Kamila Valieva’s drug test: The substances and their potential performance effects

Incorporation: Understand the disadvantages before you incorporate your medical practice

Reflections on gratitude and the unexpected

Poll: How much do you charge for lawyer’s letters?

Medical extortion? Breaking down the barriers

Addressing the global antiviral deficit

Physician tips: How not to get yourself sued

The Swiss cheese holes

The double-edged sword of primary care reform in Quebec, redux

I’m an addiction researcher and therapist. Here’s why promoting sober ‘dry months’ bothers me

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