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Physician voices
A physician receives the letter. It is short, formal, and absolute. A complaint has been filed. An investigation is underway. In that moment, something shifts. Not just professionally, but personally. The identity built over years of training, sacrifice, and responsibility…
A physician receives the letter. It is short, formal, and absolute. A complaint has been filed. An investigation is underway. In that moment, something shifts. Not just professionally, but personally. The identity built over years of training, sacrifice, and responsibility suddenly feels fragile. Every decision, every note, every outcome is now seen through a different lens. What follows is rarely discussed. Not in training. Not in hospital corridors. Not even …
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How a medical investigation drives physician burnout
Physician voices
I have spent my career believing in systems. As physicians, we are trained to trust oversight. We are taught that regulatory bodies exist to protect patients, maintain standards, and intervene when care falls below acceptable levels. We are taught that…
I have spent my career believing in systems. As physicians, we are trained to trust oversight. We are taught that regulatory bodies exist to protect patients, maintain standards, and intervene when care falls below acceptable levels. We are taught that if we act ethically, document carefully, and prioritize patients, the system will ultimately be fair. What we are not trained for is what happens when that power becomes opaque.
Over the …
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The hidden toll of physician regulatory investigations
Health policy
Health care systems worldwide are grappling with access, efficiency, and sustainability challenges. In Canada, the debate over public versus private care is especially charged, and nowhere is this more evident than in Quebec. The province has the highest number of…
Health care systems worldwide are grappling with access, efficiency, and sustainability challenges. In Canada, the debate over public versus private care is especially charged, and nowhere is this more evident than in Quebec. The province has the highest number of physicians practicing outside the public system in the country—yet they still account for only 2 percent of all doctors. Instead of vilifying these professionals, policymakers should be asking: What lessons …
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Why Quebec’s health care model could change Canada’s system for good
Conditions and diseases
Fainting, or syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness when the brain doesn't get enough oxygen. Many things, including dehydration, low blood sugar, or anxiety, can cause it. As all doctors know, a common trigger for fainting is seeing blood…
Fainting, or syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness when the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen. Many things, including dehydration, low blood sugar, or anxiety, can cause it. As all doctors know, a common trigger for fainting is seeing blood or a needle.
Emotional fainting is very common in humans, especially in younger people, but it is extremely rare in non-human vertebrates. Fainting may be a response that Homo sapiens
…
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What causes fainting and how to prevent it during needle procedures
Health policy
The growing role of private health care in Canada is a hot topic at the moment. Provincial governments are outsourcing elective surgeries to the private sector and are considering or debating the option. Many Canadians are in favor because they…
The growing role of private health care in Canada is a hot topic at the moment. Provincial governments are outsourcing elective surgeries to the private sector and are considering or debating the option.
Many Canadians are in favor because they recognize that the public health care system is failing. Many are against it because they fear it will increase inequalities in access to care for the most vulnerable populations, particularly
…
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The private health care debate in Canada: What’s the real issue?
Physician voices
Medicine is both a business and a profession, with the business aspect being the provision of health care services for a fee and the professional aspect being the delivery of medical care for the patient's benefit. The business of medicine…
Medicine is both a business and a profession, with the business aspect being the provision of health care services for a fee and the professional aspect being the delivery of medical care for the patient’s benefit.
The business of medicine refers to the broader economic and political systems that shape the health care industry, such as government policies, insurance regulations, and the influence of pharmaceutical companies and other industry stakeholders.
The terms …
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Patients vs. customers: the ethics of health care as a business
Health policy
Canadian physicians, like many other Canadians, generally support the country's publicly funded health care system, which is designed to provide universal access to medical care. However, despite its strengths, there are some areas where the public system falls short, and…
Canadian physicians, like many other Canadians, generally support the country’s publicly funded health care system, which is designed to provide universal access to medical care.
However, despite its strengths, there are some areas where the public system falls short, and there is growing evidence that a combination of public and private health care could help address some of these shortcomings.
One of the main benefits of a mixed system, as seen in …
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Ensuring universal access and quality care: the advantages of a mixed health care system in Canada
Physician voices
Hand disorders and injuries often result in significant functional deficits if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Unfortunately, in Canada, hands are often undertreated or treated too late, with potentially serious consequences for both the patient and society…
Hand disorders and injuries often result in significant functional deficits if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Unfortunately, in Canada, hands are often undertreated or treated too late, with potentially serious consequences for both the patient and society due to prolonged disability.
Hand conditions are complex and require specialized knowledge to diagnose and treat correctly. Unfortunately, primary care physicians rarely have the training or expertise to accurately diagnose and …
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Unlocking the potential of occupational therapists: a solution to undertreated hand conditions
Physician voices
"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi In Canada, the vast majority of physicians are part of the public health system. One of the biggest complaints among these physicians is the administrative burden they face,…
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
– Gandhi
In Canada, the vast majority of physicians are part of the public health system. One of the biggest complaints among these physicians is the administrative burden they face, including filling out forms for insurance companies, workers’ compensation boards, and the government. This problem is not new, and despite decades of complaints, little has been done to reduce the burden on …
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The solution to Canadian physicians’ administrative burdens: Invest in human resources
Physician voices
Let me tell you that being a doctor in the family can be a tricky business! On the one hand, you're the go-to person for all things medical, so you're never short on people to talk to at family gatherings.…
Let me tell you that being a doctor in the family can be a tricky business! On the one hand, you’re the go-to person for all things medical, so you’re never short on people to talk to at family gatherings. On the other hand, you’re also the go-to person for all things medical, so you’re never short on people to talk to at family gatherings. That can get old very …
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The challenges and rewards of being the doctor in the family
Health policy
Maybe one day, our universal health care system represented the values of Canadians, but certainly not anymore. American friends, you may know us for our drinking age and "free health care." Still, unfortunately, our health care system no longer embodies…
Maybe one day, our universal health care system represented the values of Canadians, but certainly not anymore. American friends, you may know us for our drinking age and “free health care.” Still, unfortunately, our health care system no longer embodies the principles of equality, respect, politeness, safety, and peace that we hold dear.
You may also be familiar with our Prime Minister’s fondness for dressing up and doing shirtless yoga poses. …
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Canada has a universal health care system. But does it really?
Physician voices
Hospitality in health care refers to providing high-quality, compassionate care and support to patients, focusing on meeting their individual needs and preferences. This can involve a variety of strategies, such as providing clear and accurate information to patients, involving them…
Hospitality in health care refers to providing high-quality, compassionate care and support to patients, focusing on meeting their individual needs and preferences.
This can involve a variety of strategies, such as providing clear and accurate information to patients, involving them in decision-making about their care and offering support and resources to help them manage their health and well-being.
The goal of incorporating hospitality into health care is to improve the overall patient …
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What can hospitals learn from luxury hotels?
Physician voices
Dealing with challenging patients can be difficult and stressful for doctors and health care professionals. It can be helpful to remember that they can be difficult for a variety of reasons, such as pain, fear, confusion, or unmet expectations that…
Dealing with challenging patients can be difficult and stressful for doctors and health care professionals.
It can be helpful to remember that they can be difficult for a variety of reasons, such as pain, fear, confusion, or unmet expectations that were expressed or not — reasonable or not. To effectively handle challenging patients, a few key points must be kept in mind.
Remain calm and professional. This will help keep the situation …
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How to deal with challenging patients
Physician voices
Historically, the Canadian health care system has decided what should be done for the care of the population. Who gets care, when and where, what is a priority, what delays are tolerable, and what degree of saturation is acceptable in…
Historically, the Canadian health care system has decided what should be done for the care of the population.
Who gets care, when and where, what is a priority, what delays are tolerable, and what degree of saturation is acceptable in a Quebec emergency room? This paternalistic approach is obsolete.
A modern service company must be interested in the needs and desires of its clientele.
Other than in the health
…
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What if we asked patients what they want?
Physician voices
Every doctor wants to be perfect. We want to make sure our diagnosis is perfect. Our treatment plan is perfect, and our outcome will be perfect. Patients want the perfect doctor. They want us to get it right on the…
Every doctor wants to be perfect. We want to make sure our diagnosis is perfect. Our treatment plan is perfect, and our outcome will be perfect. Patients want the perfect doctor. They want us to get it right on the first try, each and every time. The problem is perfectionism, as hard as we try to achieve it or wish for it, is not attainable. Perfectionism will kill you.
…
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Perfectionism will kill you
Physician voices
I'm a hand surgeon. After six years of academic practice, I opted out of the public and universal health care system my country is famous for to create the first private hand surgery practice in Montreal, Canada. That was 12…
I’m a hand surgeon. After six years of academic practice, I opted out of the public and universal health care system my country is famous for to create the first private hand surgery practice in Montreal, Canada. That was 12 years ago.
Opting out of the system means that I do not get any payment or reimbursement from the government in a country where private insurance does not pay for private …
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7 things I’ve learned after 12 years of private relationship-based direct care in Canada
Physician voices
Doctors treat people in all types of situations. Life or death. Sometimes both. Babies die, children die, and teenagers die. Women die. Men die. Sometimes you even have the misfortune of delivering a stillborn. Everyone experiences death, but for doctors,…
Doctors treat people in all types of situations. Life or death. Sometimes both. Babies die, children die, and teenagers die. Women die. Men die. Sometimes you even have the misfortune of delivering a stillborn. Everyone experiences death, but for doctors, it’s part of our daily norm. Day after day, for decades throughout their career, we have to experience death and the pain of others. Beyond being knowledgeable and competent in …
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