Phishing
Reading time: 4 minutes Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner is warning physicians and their staff members to be aware of the threat posed by phishing emails designed to attack their computer systems.
Seropositive Physicians and Exposure Prone Procedures
Reading time: 2 minutes The College has clarified its requirements for physicians infected with a blood borne virus who perform or assist with exposure prone procedures.
eConsult Allows Doctors to Tap into Prompt Advice from Specialists
Reading time: 4 minutes The Ontario eConsult Program enables requesting primary health care providers to ask clinical questions to a specialist electronically and receive a response within days, often eliminating the need for an in-person patient.
Filling a Gap in Opioid Education
Reading time: 5 minutes Helping clinicians acquire the skills to improve pain and opioid management is a priority. The University of Toronto and McMaster programs show that the right e-Learning offers an effective prescription for progress.
Succession Planning will Help Prevent Abandoned Records
Reading time: 2 minutes The Information and Privacy Commissioner has set out some steps to help health-care custodians keep the health information of their patients private and safe.
When your Rostered Patient Seeks Care Elsewhere
Reading time: 2 minutes Has your rostered patient sought care elsewhere? It can be frustrating, but don’t react in anger. Instead communicate with your patient to ensure that they understand the obligations within a rostered relationship.
One Issue Per Visit Strategy Could Pose a Safety Risk
Reading time: 3 minutes Restricting your patient to addressing one-issue per visit can pose a risk. It requires patients to triage their own health issues – something many patients are not capable of doing.
Communication Lessons from a TV Doctor
Reading time: 5 minutes The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science has developed a series of workshops and programs taught at medical schools.
Approval of Premises Needed Before Services Provided to Patients
Reading time: 3 minutes Physicians are reminded that they can only perform procedures using certain types of anesthesia, including nerve blocks, in a non-hospital site if the premises has first been approved by the College.
For Smart Medicine, Choose Wisely
Reading time: 4 minutes Many tests, treatments and procedures may be unnecessary. Open dialogues with patients never are. Discuss with your patients why a particular test might not be in their best interest.
Peers Helping Peers
Reading time: 8 minutes Caring for patients with opioid addiction and chronic pain can be challenging in the context of a family practice. However, help is available.
How to Treat Stigma
Reading time: 8 minutes The Mental Health Commission of Canada has reported that many people with mental health problems experience some of the most deeply felt stigma from front-line health-care professionals. We take a closer look in our Doc Talk Column.