As apps are direct-to-consumer health technologies, they represent a new folk medicine. Users adopt these technologies based on trust rather than understanding how they operate.
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Future AI large language models like Google’s AMIE might prove to fill gaps in health-care delivery, however, they must be adopted with caution.
A Canada-wide health information technology system based on open-source software could save billions for the health-care system.
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Canada has spent billions on health-care software that does not even communicate province to province. Free and open-source software would be a technically superior and far less expensive option.
The health care world has changed a lot in 40 years, but Medicare hasn’t. Here are three areas for radical forms to the system that will achieve its aims of universal health care for all Australians.
Scoliosis is a prevalent and underappreciated condition across Canada.
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Scoliosis is a treatable condition, but only if detected early. Greater awareness of the condition and its dynamics will greatly aid in patient care moving forward.
From helping surgeons to carry out complex procedures to monitoring the heartbeat of the chronically ill, the use of AI in cancer care is set to be game-changing.
Because oral health is linked to overall health, dental care needs to be viewed as an integral part of health care.
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In addition to saving costs for individuals and our health-care system, facilitating access to dental care would enhance the population’s oral health and potentially help in managing chronic diseases.
Women favour seeing the same health provider throughout pregnancy, in labour and after they have their baby – whether that’s via midwifery group practice, a private midwife or a private obstetrician.
Research shows that when health care professionals work in a collaborative manner, patient satisfaction and outcomes improve.
A man butters a dinner roll as he eats a Thanksgiving meal at the Ottawa Mission in Ottawa in October 2023. Food insecurity is on the rise in Canada, particularly in households with children.
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The persistence of food insecurity in Canada is a policy choice. By not doing more to improve the adequacy and stability of household income, governments are choosing to let food insecurity fester.
Complaints of racial discrimination at the Regina General Hospital highlight how bullying and harassment are damaging workplaces across Canada.
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Internal reviews are insufficient to investigate discrimination by hospital administrators and external frameworks are needed to protect employees who face bullying and harassment.
The COVID pandemic has exacerbated staff shortages in health care. We need to think about how we can better retain staff in this sector.
Social inequality in healthcare access is set to be exacerbated both by the rise of new technologies, which not everyone will be able to enjoy, and climate change.
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Climate change, inequality, the evolution of knowledge… Experts have been surveyed, and a consensus is emerging on what to expect from the effects of these factors in the medical field.
The shortage of family doctors affects not only patients, but the entire health-care system. A strong primary care foundation increases average lifespan, improves overall health and reduces costs.
Justice in access to life-saving preventive care requires reaching out to those who need the most support.
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Yes, savings from increased participation in private insurance outweigh the costs the government incurs by subsidising private health insurance rebates. But rebates can be better targeted.
A program offers training and education specifically on family medicine from the start of medical school, while bypassing administrative hurdles to residency.
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Education has a role to play in addressing the shortage of family doctors. A new program is designed specifically for comprehensive, community-based family practice.
Each encounter that health-care students have with patients and families helps them understand real-world patient needs. That means all Canadians have a role in educating future health-care providers.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
Professor (adjunct) and Senior Fellow, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto