by medicaltechont | Nov 25, 2017 | Doctors, Healthcare, Technology
Young doctors are feeling burnt-out, and this affects their ability to empathise with patients, a local study has found.
Researchers surveyed nearly 500 medical residents across 34 specialities in three public hospitals, eight in 10 of whom said they felt emotionally exhausted, lacking in personal accomplishment, or some degree of depersonalisation. These are generally considered to be the three components of burnout.
On top of that, researchers found that medical residents – who are training to be specialists – in Singapore are more burnt-out than their counterparts in the United States, and have lower levels of empathy.
by medicaltechont | Jul 30, 2017 | Electronic Medical Records, emr, Medical Records, Ontario
Electronic patient records in doctors’ offices across the country are being used by brand name drug companies looking to muscle market share away from generic competitors, a Star investigation has found.
Concerned physicians say a clinical tool they use to write prescriptions and care for patients is being co-opted, and they fear health records are being tapped so drug companies can increase profits.
In the battle for pharmaceutical dominance, this new tactic, deployed in software used by doctors, has allowed brand-name companies to capitalize on the moment a prescription is written.
Here’s how it works:
The patient records are found in EMRs, or electronic medical record software, owned by Telus Health, a subsidiary of the telecom giant. The software is used by thousands of Canadian doctors to take notes during patient visits and to create a prescription to be filled by the patient’s pharmacy.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/07/29/doctors-use-this-software-during-patient-visits-now-big-pharma-is-tapping-it-to-sell-their-drugs.html
by medicaltechont | Jun 25, 2017 | Canada, Doctors, Education, Ontario
A record number of medical-school graduates this year missed out on residency programs, their final training stage, due to an “alarming trend” that puts at risk the hundreds of thousands of dollars provincial governments have invested in the next generation of Canadian doctors.
This spring, more than 2,700 medical students were accepted to residency programs that begin next month at university hospitals across the country.
But the program, an algorithm used to match applicant preferences to universities’ preferred candidates, has left 68 students without a residency assignment.
The problem highlights a gap between the numbers of spots in medical schools and the number of residency spots, which have been cut back in recent years due to tighter budgets, according to the Canadian Federation of Medical Students.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/06/17/no-easy-cure-for-left-out-medical-school-grads.html
by medicaltechont | Jun 24, 2017 | Doctors, Education, Healthcare
“Each year, a growing number of students do not get matched, putting the hundreds of thousands of dollars that provincial governments invest in educating and training future doctors at risk.”
After he was passed over twice for a medical residency program, after he quizzed university officials and career counsellors about the reasons for his rejection, after exploring his legal options and shortly before ending his life, Robert Chu wrote a letter.
It was precise, but penned with passion. It showed the persistence the 25-year-old medical school graduate had demonstrated throughout his accomplished life.
But he also expressed his despair at what he believed is a flawed system used to match medical school graduates to residency programs — the final, obligatory stage in a doctor’s training.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/06/17/tragic-case-of-robert-chu-shows-plight-of-canadian-medical-school-grads.html
by medicaltechont | Jun 10, 2017 | Uncategorized
With Canada’s aging population putting an unprecedented amount of pressure on the country’s healthcare system, technology will increasingly play an important role in maintaining and improving access.
According to the 2017 Future Health Index, the second annual global healthcare study commissioned by Royal Philips, an overwhelming number of healthcare professionals and the general public in Canada believe connected care technology is crucial for improving treatment of medical issues (94 per cent and 83 per cent), diagnosis of medical conditions (87 per cent and 82 per cent), and home care services (82 percent and 78 per cent).
Read more at http://www.itbusiness.ca/news/canadians-believe-connected-technologies-are-the-future-of-healthcare-new-report/91016
