The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care “strongly” recommends against screening all adults with a standardized tool for depression, stating instead that doctors should ask patients about their well-being and be vigilant for symptoms. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Bill C-64, the Pharmacare Act, received Royal Assent more than a year ago. So far, only four bilateral agreements have been signed. What hurdles or objections are standing in the way of extending drug coverage to more Canadians? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Among Canadian children, each additional hour of daily screen time was associated with roughly 10% lower odds of achieving a higher level in reading and math in elementary school, according to a new study. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Nearly half of Canadian physicians report high levels of burnout, according to preliminary data from the 2025 National Physician Health Survey. The findings are disappointing, according to CMA President @drmargotburnell.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

TBI in late life is associated with a significant increase in the risk for new-onset dementia. The risk is especially elevated (by as much as 69%) within the first 5 years following the injury, according to newly published study findings. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Clinical trials often attract people with more trust in medical organizations (e.g., those with more education). New guidelines for research consent forms could broaden study populations by making the forms easier to understand. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities make up more than 1 in 5 patients who have been in mental health beds in Ontario for 1 year or more. New data suggest that these patients' support needs are going unmet. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The family physician shortage in Alberta goes beyond the problem of fewer doctors providing services and includes patient factors that demand more time and resources, a new study revealed. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

A new Medscape survey of 1000+ Canadian physicians shows a sharp generational split on retirement: younger doctors expect to leave medicine earlier due to burnout, while older colleagues see medicine as their identity and plan to work much longer. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The Canadian Medical Association and the Association of Faculties of Medicine announced the transition from a joint US-Canada medical school accreditation system to a wholly Canadian system. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

If your patient has type 2 diabetes, then you can recommend daily behaviors that will improve their cardiometabolic health. Listen to the new episode of Medical Mentor, in which @drkevinfernando reviews these behaviors. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Mount Gambier is only one symptom of the widening cracks in Australia's healthcare system. This crisis results from systemic underfunding and a lack of long-term planning, writes Dr. Toby Gardner. How do we resolve this crisis? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Even though French is an official language in Canada, "getting care in French is almost impossible" for Francophone patients in the western provinces, said Nour Enayeh, executive director of RésoSanté. What solutions to this public health problem have been proposed? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Ontario has launched a $12M Health Innovation Pathway to speed adoption of new health tech. Early projects include AI-powered eye screening, digital wound care, surgical navigation, and new abdominal supports. Designed to get innovation to patients faster. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Advances in neonatal care have improved survival and heightened the need to understand long-term outcomes. During their first five years, children born prematurely have significant morbidity and medication needs, new data suggest. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

In Canada, climate change is increasing the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus. How is Ontario adjusting its surveillance and intervention strategies to deal with this challenge? @isaacbogoch.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Black adolescents with psychological distress are less likely to report using mental health care than their White counterparts, data suggest. “We need to make sure that our mental health system is working for everyone,” said researcher Mercedes Sobers. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Depression impairs a patient's ability to actively avoid unpleasant events, new data suggest. What guidance can the study offer clinicians who seek to help their patients with depression? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Lung cancer isn’t just a smoker’s disease. Up to 25% of Canadian cases affect nonsmokers — many diagnosed late because they aren’t screened. Researchers say awareness & earlier detection are critical. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Lifeblood's new donation criteria will mean that around 626,500 more people will now be eligible to donate plasma in Australia, data suggest. Gay and bisexual men can now donate without undergoing a waiting period after sexual activity. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Manitoba's Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit was associated with improved birth and early development outcomes. But as inflation rose, the cash benefit stayed the same, and the association with improved outcomes weakened. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The publication of the 2021 Canadian guidance on prescribing methadone was associated with higher starting doses and a decrease in monotherapy. The provision of rapid dose titration, however, has remained limited. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

GPs across Australia are taking on an expanded role in diagnosing and treating ADHD. While this policy change may help reduce treatment delays, it also entails risks, as pediatricians and psychiatrists say. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Japanese encephalitis virus is spreading in Australia. Experts are calling for increased awareness of this potentially dangerous disease. Protection against mosquitoes, which bear the virus, is encouraged. @mozziebites.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

What's the biggest obstacle to the use of the most effective form of contraception? Recent data from British Columbia suggest that it's cost. Full reimbursement was associated with an increase in LARC uptake. @drlschummers.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Two medical students at the University of Ottawa created a program that allows med students to support the services that community organizations provide. It highlights the importance of social determinants of health. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Because of neglect, inaccessible resources, and lack of cultural sensitivity, Canada’s Indigenous population still faces major disparities in heart and stroke care. What is being done to reduce these disparities? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

ED visits for concussion have increased substantially in the past 10 years, but patients facing greater material deprivation are much less likely to seek care. What are the recent data and their clinical implications? @shannonscratch.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Canada is facing rising infectious disease rates — and US cuts to CDC data are making it harder to track and respond. Experts warn this could impair pandemic readiness and fuel health misinformation across the border. Read more. @amykaler.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The STRIDE trial illustrates the significant benefits that semaglutide has for patients with type 2 diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. This therapy could improve quality and quantity of life in these patients, says @drkevinfernando.bsky.social. #diabetes www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The Aunties Within Reach partnership, which is supported by CIHR, uses a community-integrated care model to provide reproductive health services to Indigenous communities in the Wood Buffalo region of Alberta. @smontesanti.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

New Canadian studies suggest that the portfolio diet can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality among diverse patient populations. Previous studies had examined only older White participants. @meaghankavanagh.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Despite the Canadian government's ostensible reforms, solitary confinement continues, with negative psychological effects on the most vulnerable people, including those with mental illness. Read our new report. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

New data show an increased risk for sexual health conditions in women with colorectal cancer, especially those with early-onset colorectal cancer (diagnosed in women younger than 50 years). www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

At the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation Congress, Dr. David Dodick renewed the call for CGRP therapies to be used as first-line migraine treatments. The main reason that they're not used this way? Cost. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The use of oral rather than intravenous steroids to respond to relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is growing, according to a study presented at the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation Congress. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

About half of girls and women aged 15-29 with mental health or substance use disorder accessed formal healthcare support in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. Lesbian and bisexual women were more likely to receive counseling or medication. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The latest episode of the Medical Mentor podcast, featuring Dr. Kevin Fernando, examines how to recognize and treat hyperprolactinemia, which is associated with reduced fertility and even visual field defects. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The Australian government is expanding its investment in Urgent Care Clinics to reduce pressure on strained emergency departments. Though this strategy may provide benefits, it also may leave deeper problems unaddressed. @racgppresident.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Australia has recorded its highest number of melioidosis cases, which are thought to have been promoted by high rainfall and flooding. These cases are putting pressure on hospitals that already are strained. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

An opioid prescribing practice standard for chronic noncancer pain was associated with accelerated declines in opioid doses in BC but also with more aggressive and inappropriate dose tapering, a new analysis showed. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The evidence does not provide a basis for the diagnosis of a neurologic syndrome of unknown cause in New Brunswick, according to a new study. Nevertheless, the province's health officials will continue their investigation. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Has legalization affected cannabis use in Canada? Data suggest a modest rise in cannabis use frequency and a slight decrease in cannabis misuse since legalization. What does this mean for public health? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Has the bell tolled for Daylight Saving Time? Canadian researchers call for a switch to permanent Standard Time. The move would align our social clocks with the circadian rhythm and reduce the risk for negative health outcomes, they say. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Through a new program with @vanartgallery.bsky.social, physicians can prescribe a nature-inspired art experience to promote mental health. Data suggest that such experiences improve well-being and reduce anxiety. @drmelissalem.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

The Canadian wildfires in 2023 caused two smoke episodes. The first was associated with a 24% spike in asthma-related ED visits in Ontario, but the second was not. How can these data help us prepare for future wildfires? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

E-scooter injuries are increasing in Edmonton: 32% of cases involve fractures, and 17% involve head injuries. Helmet use is rare (2.4%), but substance use is common (26%). How can clinicians respond to this problem? www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Both methadone and safer opioid supply reduce overdoses, infections, and healthcare costs but reach different patient groups. Methadone shows faster improvements, but SOS keeps patients engaged longer. Could combining them reshape opioid care? @taragomes.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Social prescribing can offer a timely, practical response to the constraints on time, resources, or support that clinicians often face. It can be a useful means of addressing nonmedical drivers of health. @garybloch.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...

Why were abortion rates from 2020 to 2023 stable in Ontario, while they increased substantially in the UK and Europe? Canada’s regulatory and policy approach may be a key factor, according to the authors of a new study. @drlschummers.bsky.social www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...