Blogs

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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.

We're back with another round of Top Reads of the Week where we highlight a few articles that we find especially interesting and relevant to the patient experience.

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.

Ontario's doctors treat more than 400,000 people every day and these interactions are the foundation of our health system. Whether at the hospital, the long-term care facility, or the patient's home, doctors work hard to make sure Ontarians get the care they need. To help recognize the important work of Ontario's physicians, Reza Moridi, the Liberal MPP from Richmond Hill, successfully introduced a motion recognizing May 1 as Doctors' Day in Ontario in 2010. The date is symbolic: it's the birth date of Emily Stowe, Canada's first female practicing physician.

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.

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.