Sholom Glouberman

We're back with another edition of 'Top Reads of the Week'! When promoting content, we look to material that not only interests patients and their families, but to material that sheds light on the importance of the patient perspective. Please contact us and share what you think is especially fascinating, innovative, or reflective of the changes that you want to see in our healthcare system.

Patients, families key to changing the system. When Glenn Fahner was paralyzed after a fall during a fishing trip in August 2009, he was sent to Michigan for care because there were no appropriate hospital beds for him in Ontario.

If that wasn't enough, after his return to the province, he was bounced between institutions, including the Lyndhurst rehabilitation facility in Toronto, St. Joseph's Complex Continuing Care, Pioneer Manor and Health Sciences North. Read the full article here.

Photo credit: Heidi Ulrichsen

The heartbreaking stories of two women who believe their fathers were let down by the health-care system in their final days were just the kind of experiences Sholom Glouberman came to Sudbury to hear. Glouberman said he had "quite a day" Monday in Sudbury, meeting with people and trying to understand how Health Sciences North is working to engage people in a different kind of health care.

Find the full article here.

The only way to fix the problems plaguing Canada's health-care system is to involve patients in that change, says the president of the Patients' Association of Canada.

When the Canada Health Act was passed in 1984, Canadians were dying of acute and infectious diseases. Today, we die of chronic illnesses, which we can live with for years, says Sholom Glouberman. Find the full article here.

Special Event: The Developing a More Seniors' Friendly Community forum will be held Monday, June 3rd at 6 PM at the Steelworkers Hall at 66 Brady St. A trade show will start earlier, at 2 PM. Find more information here.

Catherine Cross -- The federal government is considering making adverse drug reaction reporting mandatory for doctors and other health care providers, says Health Canada.

Health Canada is concerned that adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are underreported. The Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology estimates that only 5% of suspected ADRs are reported... Every year, drug distributors submit a summary of all ADR reports to Health Canada, stating whether the reported ADRs change the drug's risk-to-benefit profile.

Sholom Glouberman, president of the Canadian Patients' Association, is concerned that practices like this give drug companies too much power. He describes drug regulation as a dance between pharma and the government.

Read the full article here.
Photo credit: 2013, Thinkstock

For the first time ever patients in the South East Local Health Integration Network have nominated physicians and a critical care team for the Patients’ Choice Award. The Patients’ Choice Award honours health-care professionals who have demonstrated exceptional care within their community.

This year’s recipients are from Kingston, ON. Family Physician Dr. Sandra Cowan of Tamworth Medical Centre, Dr. Conrad Watters, Cosmetic Surgeon at Hotel Dieu Hospital, Dr. John Rudan, Orthopaedic Surgeon at KGH, Dr. Peter Brown, Vascular Surgeon at KGH, Dr. David Ruggles, Physiatrist at Providence Care, Dr. Sheryl French, Psychologist at Kingston West Psychological Services, and Heidi Linley, Physiotherapist at KGH, were nominated by their patients for the care they have provided and their commitment to enhancing the patients' overall experience within the health-care system.

Adriana Barton -- Despite a health care system burdened by high costs and patients facing long waits for medical procedures, many Canadians are getting unnecessary diagnostic tests and surgeries that may leave them worse off, physicians say.

Patients in their 40s and 50s who have elective knee-replacement surgery, for example, are at increased risk for early failure of the artificial joint, said Gillian Hawker, a rheumatologist and clinical epidemiologist at the University of Toronto. Find the full article here.

On Saturday, April 13th, the Patients' Association and Oakley & Oakley hosted To Err is Human: What Every Patient Should Know About Medical Errors. The purpose of the conference was to shed light on the nature of medical error in Canada, and many participants left feeling like they had gained a lot of information. We were lucky to have the expertise and perspective of speakers from many backgrounds including malpractice law, medical science, and risk management. Many of the speakers were happy to share their presentations; please find them attached below.