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CMAJ Podcasts

393 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -

CMAJ Podcasts: Exploring the latest in Canadian medicine from coast to coast to coast with your hosts, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham. CMAJ Podcasts delves into the scientific and social health advances on the cutting edge of Canadian health care. Episodes include real stories of patients, clinicians, and others who are impacted by our health care system.

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Episodes

Opioid poisonings: shortfalls in treatment and new threats

February 26, 2024 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MB

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Catherine Varner, deputy editor of CMAJ, sits in for Dr. Blair Bigham and joins Dr. Mojola Omole to explore two articles published in the journal that highlight troubling findings concerning the treatment of opioid use disorder. They begin with a study that revealed significant gaps in treatment for opioid overdose patients, where only 5.5% received opioid agonist therapy within a week of their hospital visit. This comes five years after the release ...

Exclusion of people with disabilities in medicine

February 12, 2024 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MB

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole examine an article published in CMAJ titled, 'Tackling barriers to Canadian medical school admissions for students with disabilities.' The analysis highlights how medical education has historically devalued or excluded trainees with disabilities and emphasizes the need for more flexible and inclusive admission processes.  They are joined by Shira Gertsman, the lead author and a medical student at McMaster University,...

More than just novel obesity treatments

January 29, 2024 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MB

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole discuss the practice article in the journal entitled, “Five things to know about…Novel obesity treatments". They discuss the impact of new medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide in treating obesity with Dr. Shohinee Sarma, the lead author. Dr. Sarma explains the significant effects these drugs have on weight loss and cardiometabolic health. They also discuss how these treatments can be combined with behavioral t...

ASA: a simple, effective and underused treatment for preeclampsia

January 15, 2024 10:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MB

On this episode, Dr. Emmanuel Bujold addresses the gross underutilization of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in Canada during pregnancy, a treatment highly effective in preventing preterm preeclampsia among those at risk. Dr. Bujold is an OB-GYN in Quebec City and a professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Laval University's School of Medicine. He is a co-author of the commentary in CMAJ entitled, “Screening for preeclampsia risk and prophylaxis with acetylsalicylic acid”. Dr. Bujold presents ev...

ENCORE: Smartphones, social media and poor mental health

December 25, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MB

On this episode, we revisit and update one of the most-read articles on the CMAJ website. The article is titled, “Smartphones, social media use, and youth mental health.” It reviews the extensive literature linking poor mental health in adolescents with smartphone and social media use. The article details a variety of studies that implicate smartphone and social media use in increased mental distress, self-injurious behaviour, and suicidality among youth. It also indicates that there's a do...

Pharmacogenomic testing: billion-dollar savings in depression treatment

December 11, 2023 10:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MB

On this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole discuss the CMAJ paper "Cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenomic-guided treatment for major depression". The paper examines the potential of pharmacogenomic testing in the treatment of major depression and its implications for health care costs. The study suggests that implementing pharmacogenomic testing for adults with moderate to severe major depressive disorder in British Columbia could save the health system about $956 million over 20 ye...

The rapid evolution and enhanced capabilities of virtual urgent care

November 27, 2023 10:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MB

On this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole delve into the evolution and advancements in virtual urgent care since the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion centers around the study published in CMAJ entitled "Healthcare utilization and outcomes of patients seen by virtual urgent care versus in-person emergency department care," which analyzed patient usage and outcomes during the height of the pandemic.  The study didn’t specifically track how many patients were redirected from emergen...

Recommendations on SARS-CoV-2, influenza and RSV vaccinations

November 13, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MB

On this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with two vaccine experts about the necessity, timing and availability of vaccines as we move into the season when influenza, RSV and COVID-19 are on the rise. Dr. Scott Halperin, co-author of a CMAJ practice paper on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pregnancy, emphasizes the importance of vaccination to protect against COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. He notes that while there is awareness among healthcare practitioners, it is crucial t...

New guidelines for alcohol use disorder

October 30, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MB

In this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole delve into the pressing issue of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Canada with Dr. Evan Wood, the lead author of the “Canadian guideline for the clinical management of high risk drinking and alcohol use disorder” published in CMAJ.  They explore the concerning prevalence of AUD in Canada, contrasting it with other countries and shedding light on the diagnostic criteria that underscore the significance of assessing clinically significant impair...

Promoting health equity in primary care

October 16, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MB

In this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole speak with two co-authors of a new guideline published in CMAJ entitled "Preventive care recommendations to promote health equity". Dr. Nav Persaud and Dr. Aisha Lofters explain the importance of embedding health equity into healthcare and discuss specific ways public policy and individual primary care physicians can work together to promote equity in their practices. The conversation highlighted some key recommendations such as: Begin...

Tick-borne illnesses: an evolving health concern

October 02, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MB

In this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole speak with two leading experts: Dr. Samira Jeimy, an allergist, and Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a specialist in infectious diseases, about the increasing prevalence of allergies and infections in Canada attributed to insects. Dr. Jeimy authored the article in the CMAJ titled “Five things to know about… tick-borne red meat allergy (α-gal syndrome)”. Dr. Jeimy describes how tick bites introduce a carbohydrate, alpha-gal, leading the human body to mani...

EDs in crisis: causes and solutions

September 18, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MB

Canada’s emergency departments are in crisis: hospital occupancy rates exceed 90% for many days in a row, and many Canadian hospitals have been exceeding 100% occupancy for months on end. As a result, quality of care has decreased, staff retention has become problematic and overcrowding of emergency departments, a symptom of the problem, is assured. On this episode, Drs. Omole and Bigham speak with Dr. Catherine Varner, an emergency physician in Toronto, deputy editor of CMAJ, and author of...

Smartphones, social media and poor mental health

September 04, 2023 20:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MB

On this encore episode, we revisit and update one of the most-read articles on the CMAJ website. The article is titled, “Smartphones, social media use, and youth mental health.” It reviews the extensive literature linking poor mental health in adolescents with smartphone and social media use. The article details a variety of studies that implicate smartphone and social media use in increased mental distress, self-injurious behaviour, and suicidality among youth. It also indicates that there...

Encore: Diagnosing, treating and living with migraine

August 21, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MB

== This is an encore presentation of an episode originally published on Jan 30, 2023 == Migraine is a common condition that affects around 12% of adults, with a higher prevalence in women (18%) than men (6%). Global burden of disease estimates in 2019 found migraine to be the leading cause of disability in women aged 15-49 years and the second leading cause of disability overall.  On this episode, Drs. Mojole and Bigham interview three authors of two review articles on the topic published ...

The power of narrative medicine

August 07, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MB

The award-winning essay in the CMAJ, "Sometimes, often," beautifully showcases the power of narrative to forge a deep connection between physicians and patients. The article clearly resonated with our readers, as it was the most-read humanities piece this year. On this episode, the author, Dr. Simran Sandhu, delivers a powerful reading of her article. She then speaks with Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole about what inspired her to write the essay and how storytelling enables her to build d...

Radon and lung cancer: A call to action for physicians and policymakers

July 24, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MB

Radon gas exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, accounting for approximately 3,000 cases annually in Canada. A “Five things to know about…” paper in CMAJ  entitled “Radon and lung cancer risk" encourages physicians to ask patients to test their home and workplace for the invisible gas. Dr. Silvina Mema and Greg Baytalan are co-authors of the article, and on this episode, they detail the significant public health risk radon poses, the relative ease of testing, and the ...

Optimizing nonsurgical management of major hemorrhage

July 03, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MB

Major hemorrhage is life-threatening and can occur in a variety of clinical settings. A review paper in CMAJ, entitled "Nonsurgical management of major hemorrhage," advocates for the implementation of massive hemorrhage protocols across all types of hospitals to optimize patient care. Dr. Jeannie Callum, the article's lead author and the Director of Transfusion Medicine at Kingston's Health Sciences Centre speaks with Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole about her work standardizing massive h...

Time for a reset: menopause and hormone replacement therapy

June 19, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

Many women complain that physicians are reluctant to treat menopause with the full range of available therapies, often dismissing symptoms as 'natural' and something to be endured. A review article in CMAJ  finds that physician fears around menopausal hormone therapy and lack of knowledge regarding treatment options often impede patients from receiving treatment. On this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Iliana Lega, the lead author of the review entitled "A pragmat...

Expanding screening of hypertension patients for primary aldosteronism

June 05, 2023 09:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MB

On this episode, Dr. Greg Hundemar, co-author of the practice paper in CMAJ “Screening for primary aldosteronism in primary care” discusses primary aldosteronism, its implications and the need to expand screening guidelines.  Primary aldosteronism, also known as primary hyperaldosteronism or Conn's syndrome, is an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands secrete too much aldosterone, leading to hypertension. This condition was once thought to be a rare cause of hypertension, but recent r...

Genetic Perils: Allopurinol Hypersensitivity Syndrome and Personalized Medicine

May 22, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MB

Allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS) affects approximately 1 in 1,000 patients prescribed allopurinol, with reported mortality rates between 20% and 25%. The risk of AHS is nearly 100 times higher in carriers of the HLA-B*58:01 allele than in noncarriers. Populations with a high allele frequency include Han Chinese (6%-8%), Korean (12%), and Thai (6%-8%) people. In this episode, Drs. Wid Yaseen and Jonathan Zipursky discuss their paper published in CMAJ, titled "Five things to know a...

How to Prevent Fragility Fractures: A Guideline for Family Doctors

May 08, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MB

Fragility fractures are a major health concern for older adults and can result in disability, admission to hospital and long-term care, and reduced quality of life.  The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline published in CMAJ provides evidence-based recommendations on screening for primary prevention of fragility fractures. In this special episode of the CMAJ podcast, CMAJ editor-in-chief Dr. Kirsten Patrick speaks to Dr. Roland Grad, a family physician and an author of t...

Rethinking preoperative anemia: Challenging WHO guidelines and targeting hemoglobin levels in major elective surgery

April 24, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB

An estimated 23%-45% of patients undergoing major surgery have anemia, with the most common causes being iron deficiency anemia and anemia of inflammation or chronic disease. In this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Clarissa Skorupski and Dr. Yulia Lin, two authors of the practice paper in CMAJ, "Five things to know about preoperative anemia in major elective surgery." Dr. Skorupski is a third-year internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Yu...

Rethinking Preoperative Anemia: Challenging WHO Guidelines and Targeting Hemoglobin Levels in Major Elective Surgery

April 24, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MB

An estimated 23%-45% of patients undergoing major surgery have anemia, with the most common causes being iron deficiency anemia and anemia of inflammation or chronic disease. In this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Clarissa Skorupski and Dr. Yulia Lin, two authors of the practice paper in CMAJ, "Five things to know about preoperative anemia in major elective surgery." Dr. Skorupski is a third-year internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Yu...

Diagnosing, treating and living with endometriosis

April 10, 2023 09:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MB

Many patients report their symptoms of endometriosis are often dismissed by healthcare providers as “normal” dysmenorrhea. This worldwide trend results in delays to diagnosis that are estimated to range from 6 to 11 years from symptom onset.  On this episode, Drs. Bigham and Omole speak with Dr. Catharine Allaire, a clinical professor at UBC's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and co-author of the review in CMAJ entitled “Diagnosis and management of endometriosis”. Dr. Allaire discus...

How to diagnose and manage polyneuropathy

March 27, 2023 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MB

Clinicians may find diagnosing polyneuropathy challenging due to the vague and insidious onset of symptoms. Identifying signs consistent with polyneuropathy and determining which investigations to conduct and when to be concerned can be daunting. Polyneuropathy involves simultaneous dysfunction of multiple peripheral nerves, with the most common form being distal symmetric polyneuropathy. Symptoms primarily occur distally, mainly at the bottom of the feet, and progress proximally. Sensory s...

Redesigning streets to make them safe for bikes, e-scooters, and pedestrians

March 13, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MB

The use of electric scooters (e-scooters) has witnessed a substantial surge globally. However, the presence of these motorized vehicles on sidewalks poses a significant risk to pedestrians. A recent practice paper published in CMAJ describes the case of a 68-year-old woman who suffered serious injuries while walking on a city sidewalk after being hit by an e-scooter traveling at approximately 30 km/h.  While the authors of the paper recognize e-scooters as a popular, efficient and green fo...

Understanding parents’ concerns about vaccinating their children against SARS-CoV-2

February 27, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MB

Uptake of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for children aged 5–11 years has been lower than anticipated in Canada. Although research has explored parental intentions toward SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for children, the drivers of parents’ decisions to seek vaccination for their children - or not -  have not been studied in-depth.  A research paper published in CMAJ,  entitled Parents’ perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations for children: a qualitative analysis, sought to explore parents’ decision-making. ...

Virtual versus in-person consultation: getting the mix right

February 13, 2023 10:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MB

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario saw a 5600% increase in virtual visits to health care practitioners, while in-office visits decreased by 79% from the previous year. In 2018, only 4% of family physicians in Canada were offering video visits while, at the peak of the pandemic, about 80% of primary care visits were being delivered virtually in Ontario. Media reports at the time suggested patients were substituting emergency department (ED) visits when in-person consultations were unava...

Diagnosing, treating and living with migraine

January 30, 2023 10:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MB

Migraine is a common condition that affects around 12% of adults, with a higher prevalence in women (18%) than men (6%). Global burden of disease estimates in 2019 found migraine to be the leading cause of disability in women aged 15-49 years and the second leading cause of disability overall.  On this episode, Drs. Mojole and Bigham interview three authors of two review articles on the topic published in CMAJ, which focus on diagnosis, acute treatment and prevention of migraine.  Dr. Velin...

Diagnosing, assessing and treating long COVID

January 16, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MB

Diagnosing long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is challenging for clinicians. With up to 200 possible symptoms, heterogeneous presentations and no definitive diagnostic test, the diagnosis is a clinical one. In this episode, Dr. Kieran Quinn, a general internist and palliative care physician at Mount Sinai and Bridgepoint Hospitals in Toronto, emphasizes the importance of judicious diagnostic testing in patients with suspected long COVID. Dr. Quinn, who is c...

Looking back, looking forward with CMAJ editors

January 02, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MB

On this special episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole interview CMAJ editor-in-chief, Dr. Kirsten Patrick, and executive editor, Dr. James Maskalyk. They talk about the journal's accomplishments over the past year and some of the challenges related to its increased focus on social determinants of health and equity. In the year ahead, Drs. Patrick and Maskalyk say the journal will focus on exploring topics related to access to care, and particularly encourage the submission of articles...

Canada’s primary care crisis: addressing the causes and finding solutions

December 19, 2022 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MB

A popular theory to explain the crisis in primary care in Canada is that newly graduating physicians simply do not see as many patients as previous generations. But recently published research has thoroughly debunked that myth. David Rudoler is the lead author of research published in CMAJ entitled Changes over time in patient visits and continuity of care among graduating cohorts of family physicians in 4 Canadian provinces that looked at the number of patient contacts for physicians at a...

Managing epistaxis and identifying who may have a bleeding disorder

December 05, 2022 10:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MB

An “old wives’ tale” has persisted in the treatment of anterior epistaxis. A practice article in CMAJ entitled, "Five things to know about anterior epistaxis" discusses what many are doing wrong and the proper way to treat anterior epistaxis. On this episode, co-author and rhinologist Dr. Leigh Sowerby elaborates on the causes and the full suite of options for treating this common cause for emergency department visits. Next, Drs. Bigham and Omole speak with Dr. Michelle Sholzberg, a hematol...

Recognizing and addressing human monkeypox in Canada

November 21, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MB

A practice article in CMAJ presents 8 images of monkeypox mucocutaneous lesions presenting in Canadian patients from May to July 2022.  The images show a spectrum of common lesions seen in patients with human monkeypox during the 2022 outbreak in non-endemic countries.  On this episode, Dr. Sharon Sukhdeo and Dr. Darrell Tan, two co-authors of the article discuss their intention that the image atlas be a necessary corrective to the proliferation of images from endemic countries seen early i...

Exploring the promise of AI in medicine

November 07, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MB

Artificial intelligence, such as computer-aided detection and computer-aided diagnosis or differentiation uses complex algorithms to identify and characterize polyps in situ during screening for colorectal cancer.  Emergent evidence suggests that the performance of AI models is superior to current standards of practice. On this episode, Drs Bigham and Omole speak with Dr. Michael Byrne, co-author of a practice paper in CMAJ entitled Artificial intelligence in colorectal cancer screening. He...

Special Episode: Tackling anti-Black racism in medicine

October 31, 2022 09:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MB

Efforts to combat anti-Black racism in Canadian healthcare are underway but much remains to be done to dismantle the ideas, systems and implicit biases that underpin this specific form of discrimination. On this special one-hour episode, Drs Omole and Bigham explore the history of anti-Black racism in Canada’s medical schools, in particular at Queen’s University, where a ban on Black students was only formally lifted in 2018. They also explore solutions, including the development of a curr...

Ensuring equitable access to cancer care for Black populations

October 24, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MB

Black and immigrant populations are disproportionately underrepresented in regular screening for cancer. Race-based data from Canada are minimally-available, but research from the United States and Europe has shown that the lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer is much higher among Black people compared to white people and Black people who do get the disease tend to have more aggressive tumors and to present at a later stage. On this episode, Drs Omole and Bigham speak with Kikachukwu...

Optimizing care for patients experiencing sickle cell crises.

October 10, 2022 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MB

Several hospitals are known for providing particularly excellent care to people experiencing a sickle cell crisis.  For example, the ER at UHN meets a key recommendation from the 2017 Ontario Clinical Handbook that patients receive analgesia within  30 minutes of triage. The handbook also recommends that centres support patients’ individual coping strategies through ready access to food, phone chargers and blankets. Many ERs are not meeting this standard. A general lack of awareness about s...

How to be better at diagnosing rare conditions.

September 26, 2022 09:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MB

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of painful swelling without urticaria that leads to substantial morbidity and even mortality if left untreated. On this episode, Dr. Victoria Cook, an immunologist working in Victoria, BC, describes the case of a woman who had 6 emergency department presentations, 1 hospital admission and saw 5 different specialists over 11 months before finally being diagnosed with HAE. Drs. Bigham and Om...

Urgent need to improve organ donation experience for donor families

September 12, 2022 09:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MB

Many families of organ donors describe feeling alone and abandoned at the moment when their loved one is taken to the operating room for donation. Heather Talbot says she and her family were left on their own as her son was wheeled into the OR. The experience left her thinking, “Well, they got what they wanted and they’ve moved on.” A qualitative study in CMAJ examined the experiences of donor families. They found that many families felt unsupported at critical transition periods. Authors o...

Clearing Misconceptions about Functional Neurological Disorders

August 29, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MB

Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) make up a significant portion of referrals to neurology, maybe as high as 30%. However, misconceptions regarding these disorders remain across medicine, and patients are frequently dismissed as “faking it.” FND are neuropsychiatric conditions in which patients experience neurologic symptoms due to a “functional” disruption of brain networks rather than a “structural” disorder of the nervous system.  On this episode, Drs Bigham and Omole speak with Pe...

Hot Flash: Experiencing menopause in medicine

August 15, 2022 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MB

When contemplating issues of diversity and inclusion, medicine needs to consider menopause. A commentary in CMAJ argues that discussion about and, where needed, accommodation of menopause is a necessary step toward providing women physicians with a supportive and comfortable work environment. On this episode, Drs. Bigham and Omole speak with the lead author of the commentary “Hot Flash: Experiencing menopause in medicine.” Dr. Marie Christakis is an OB-GYN at St Michael’s hospital in Toront...

Encore Presentation: Recognizing and Treating POTS

August 01, 2022 09:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MB

This is an encore presentation of our most popular episode of the past year. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a disorder that can profoundly affect patients' quality of life. Its main characteristic is tachycardia on standing without a drop in blood pressure. Patients complain of lightheadedness and palpitations when upright, which sometimes leads to syncope. This can cause substantial functional disability, which may be economically devastating. Despite these serious c...

Special Episode - Depression in pregnancy and the postpartum period: should we screen everyone?

July 25, 2022 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MB

The short answer to this question, according to a new guideline published in CMAJ, is “No.” In this special episode, CMAJ editor in chief, Dr. Kirsten Patrick, talks to Dr. Eddy Lang, lead author of the guideline entitled Recommendation on instrument-based screening for depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period produced by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. They discuss why there’s not enough evidence to support a recommendation to screen routinely, why that does...

Does bodychecking experience really reduce concussions?

July 18, 2022 08:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MB

In an effort to reduce the high burden of injury in Canadian youth ice hockey, most associations have restricted bodychecking nationally among leagues for younger players (age 11–12 yr), as well as in certain nonelite divisions of play in older age categories (age 13–17 yr.) This has been shown to be associated with reduced rates of injury, including concussion.  However, despite the evidence, some argue that gaining earlier bodychecking experience may protect young players from injuries, i...

Fixing the problem of drug shortages in Canada

July 04, 2022 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MB

Drug shortages are a persistent problem in Canada and around the world. They interfere with patients’ ability to consistently take medication to manage chronic diseases. And they disrupt urgent care as critical drugs like epinephrine and propofol face shortages.  The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns that the pandemic would exacerbate existing issues with drug shortages in Canada. Canadian policy-makers responded with several important measures in March 2020 in an attempt to ensure a steady...

Suicidality crisis among transgender adolescents

June 20, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MB

The author of a new study in CMAJ says the risk of suicidality among transgender youth, “is really a crisis.”   Mila Kingsbury and her co-authors found that trans and non-binary teens were as much as 7 times more likely than cishet peers to have thought about or tried suicide. More than half of the trans 15-17 year olds in a nationally-representative Canadian survey said they’d thought about suicide, and about 40% had attempted suicide in their lifetime. The research entitled Suicidality a...

Preventing overdose harms with a safe supply of drugs

June 06, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MB

People who use drugs are at elevated risk of death due to the toxic illicit drug supply. Providing easy access to a supply of safe, clean substances may reduce overdose deaths, decrease harms associated with substance use, and improve users’ trust in addiction care.  Safer Alternatives for Emergency Response (SAFER) is a low-barrier, flexible safe supply program that provides several replacement options for people who use illicit drugs, including fentanyl, and is integrated with other healt...

What medical conditions and social factors increase the risk of drowning?

May 23, 2022 09:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MB

Drowning accounts for hundreds of deaths in Canada every year. A study published in CMAJ examines how pre-existing medical conditions contribute to drowning deaths. Drs Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with the study’s lead author Dr. Cody Boone about what the study’s findings mean for physicians and patients. They then speak with Audrey Giles, a professor of human kinetics at the University of Ottawa, about the high rates of drownings experienced by Northern Indigenous communities in Ca...

Is it time to re-think the quality improvement enterprise?

May 09, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB

In this episode, Dr. Kaveh Shonjania argues that despite the billions of dollars spent on clinical and quality improvement research, most of the interventions that are studied are shown not to work and those that do work produce only marginal benefits for some patients. Dr. Shojania is the Vice Chair of Quality and Innovation for the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and past Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Quality and Safety. He joins Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole to discuss ...

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