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kayla1993-world · 2 years

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B.C. doctor frustrated after finding terminally ill mother at home without care

A family physician in Saanich, B.C., is raising her voice, concerned about a shortage of healthcare workers after finding her sick mother at home without one last week. Dr. Jennifer Lush said she swung by 86-year-old Marianne Lush’s house on the morning of Sept. 22 to find her in bed by herself. Marianne has terminal cancer and is legally blind and paralyzed in both legs. “She would not have had her medications on time, she would have been in severe pain and shouldn't have even had food to eat,” Lush told Global News on Friday. Because her care is palliative, the health authority is supposed to be providing a health-care worker who is there from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Without enough community health-care workers to go around, Lush said she acts as her mother’s second caregiver, helping her get in and out of bed each day. She added that last week was not the first time a healthcare worker had failed to show up. After the Sept. 22 incident, Lush said she reached out to the care provider, Sidney SeniorCare, a subcontractor of Island Health, and was told the person who was supposed to attend that day had called in sick. “People call in sick, but I don’t understand why they don’t have a protocol in place such that they notify the family... and also need to have the ability to backfill a shift. They can’t just leave somebody in bed for hours,” said Lush. “My mom is fortunate in that she does have me as a family member in town to check in on her. But how many vulnerable seniors out there in the community are laying in bed without their needs being met?” In an emailed statement, the president of the SeniorCare Group of Companies described Lush and Marianne’s experience as an “isolated” one. Sidney SeniorCare has been in touch with Lush, Shauna Dorko added, “solved her immediate concerns” and they will “move forward together in a positive direction.” “We obviously are not the only home care agency or health care facility this has happened to, so it seems very unfair to target, or even name, Sidney SeniorCare in this interview since we all agree that this is a systemic issue.” The vast majority of SeniorCare Group of Companies clients have a positive experience, Dorko added, and the organization is working continuously to improve its services and be transparent with clients and workers. Island Health also told Global News it is aware of what happened to Marianne and has “followed up” with Sidney SeniorCare to understand the incident and “ensure the established process is followed when there are last--minute changes to scheduled home support visits.” “It’s unclear why this process was not followed in this situation,” a spokesperson wrote. “We acknowledge the family’s frustration and concern about their loved one’s care.” Like many jurisdictions, Island Health said it is challenged by community health-care worker shortages and is actively recruiting more. Like many jurisdictions, Island Health said it is challenged by community health-care worker shortages and is actively recruiting more. Meanwhile, Lush said she has no plans to change her mother’s care but is speaking up on behalf of those who have no one to advocate for them. "Seniors in the community deserve better. They should be able to stay at home, to have their dignity and independence preserved," she explained. "It’s best for seniors, it’s best for society, it’s best for the healthcare system." She cited wage disparities between community health-care workers and their counterparts in acute and long-term care facilities as a driving factor in the shortages.

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skincart11 · 2 years

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Germany Visa Varieties, Necessities, Application & Guidelines

For an entrepreneur with a startup in China, the most typical pattern is to enter to do investigation, enterprise formation, and preliminary group for the company with a business visa . I am from Europe and in March of this 12 months in my home country Chinese Embassy I was issued with a Multiple Entry F Visa, ninety day stay per entry, legitimate until June 2015 … (it is my 5th. 2 yr visa to be granted). Although the State Council rules don’t tackle retroactivity issues, still beneath China’s Legislative Law, the model new rules is not going to apply retroactively to cancel the validity of a visa. Above, I’ve responded to the query, “Which visa is suitable to do an internship in China if I truly have no residence certificate for study? A change in both occupation and employer requires the worker to depart China and re-enter with a new R or Z Visa. The logic behind this is that because the employer is switching occupations, they have to once more prove to the federal government that they are qualified to work in China in a brand new position. B-Class workers make up around sixty one % of expats in China. Compared to Class As, they can find it more difficult to obtain a work permit in industries already saturated with overseas staff. For international language lecturers, has a bachelor’s diploma or larger, a minimum of two years expertise of educating the language, and the language being instructed is the applicant’s native language. This is a comprehensive guide to understanding all the authorized processes necessary to convey your overseas expertise to China. Community health monitoring means you can go out to work and different important activities, however to not join in events and other group activities. Submit your three adverse PCR take a look at certificates, Personal Health Monitoring Form, "Letter of Commitment on COVID-19 Vaccination" , and different data on the China Health Declaration Certificate website. You must take a first PCR test at your flight departure metropolis 7 days before boarding. For example, in case your departure date is January 10, you should do the primary take a look at on January 3. For emergency humanitarian wants including dying in the family or member of the family in crucial hospital/palliative care. Autonomous area, or municipality directly under the Central Government shall study their circumstances and grant them residence certificates. If a non-Chinese national needs to stay in China longer than the duration of stay allowed on the visa, he or she is required to submit an extension to the EEA of the municipality before his or her duration of stay expires. Approval of an extension of stay is probably not granted, by which case the traveler must depart China instantly. Chinese diplomatic missions are not licensed to increase a visa. You may need to consider lowering the risk by terminating the arguably illegal employment and limiting your actions to those that are clearly lawful with an M visa (e.g., visiting for business or commerce). Visas For China Today we’re speaking concerning the basics of the way to get a visa for China. We encourage you to maintain your info up-to-date to facilitate your entry into the United States. If you have a new passport, you'll need to enroll in EVUS before your subsequent trip to the United States. We advocate you enroll at least one week earlier than you are scheduled to depart for the United States. EVUS won't require the traveler to submit a photograph or fingerprints. This update will require the traveler to answer a series of questions on himself/herself, and his/her job, background and travel history/destination. The Chinese visa coverage outlines the rules and requirements that international residents from everywhere in the world want to meet to journey to the People’s Republic of China. Please fill in an Arrival Card for immigration inspection each time earlier than reentry within the validity of this certificates. If any mistake is made in the course of the on-line utility course of, the applicant may submit a brand new utility. Employment Z Issued to those taking on a publish or employment, or giving business performances, in China. Commercial performances Z Issued to these taking over a submit or employment, or giving commercial performances, in China. Transit G Issued to those that are going to transit by way of China en path to a third country . As a pupil X1 Issued to these intending to review in China for a interval of more than one hundred eighty days. X2 X2 As an launched expertise R Issued to those who are high-level certified skills or whose abilities are urgently needed by China. As a journalist J1 Issued to resident foreign journalists/media employees of international information organizations stationed in China. China Travel Necessities All travelers should undergo a 14-day quarantine at a prearranged location. Masks are required on public transportation, in government workplaces, and in lots of private businesses. Some vaccine providers might cost insurance coverage corporations a fee for giving someone the shot, however they won't charge the particular person being vaccinated. No matter the place you may be vaccinated, COVID-19 vaccine suppliers can't cost you if COVID-19 vaccination is the one service offered. Always watch forsymptomsfor 14 days after travel.If you develop signs, isolate at residence away from othersandget tested right away. To keep away from this case, we suggest you replace your working system and browser on your system. This service permits passengers to make use of their personal electronic gadgets to take pleasure in on-demand leisure applications when the plane is flying over 10,000 toes. Passengers need to turn on flight mode and Wi-Fi to hook up with the server on-board. Learn more on how we offered medical assist to a Singaporean patient, who was admitted to a hospital in Jakarta and diagnosed with COVID-19. Risk Management Community Expects Stabilising of Travel and Working Patterns by End of 2022 Press bulletins Business continuity Risk Travel Security Duty of Care Business travel is anticipated to be the last workplace activity to stabilise. The threat administration group expects stabilising of journey and dealing patterns by the top of 2022, according to The International SOS Risk Outlook 2022. We’re readily available to assist you get the information you need about journey in China, whenever you want it. We’re not robots; we’re actual folks, journey designers here that can help you. If you would possibly be considering traveling to China within the near future or have a 2020 booking with us and would love additional Travel Advisory, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Australia On-line Visas First time applicants not born in Hong Kong or Macau are additionally capable of apply for Exit and Entry Permit online from 8 February 2017. Unlike those certified for the no-fee Entry Permit or Entry and Exit Permit on arrival, the applicants are required to pay a processing fee of NT$600. For the first time, Chinese vacationers might enter Saudi Arabia by merely filling out a web-based form. The software to acquire a Saudi Arabia eVisa from China is part of a wholly digital procedure. Several additional paperwork are at present required to acquire a visa and journey to Indonesia. The sponsor should complete the online registration and application. Thanks to the eVisa system, the application kind could be submitted on-line and supporting documents uploaded electronically. Decides whether or not a visa is to be issued or not, what kind of visa to be issued, the visa's period of validity, length of keep and number of entries based on China's legal guidelines and regulations. 台胞證 are additionally working to and from different nations, together with the USA, Austria, Croatia, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, and Singapore. Travelers ought to keep in thoughts that staying in the nation past the validity of the visa can lead to fines and legal penalties. On the opposite hand, the eVisa permits Chinese vacationers to skip these traces because the course of can be carried out entirely on-line. The only two exceptions to the visa requirement are Kenya and Djibouti. Citizens of Kenya can enter Ethiopia without a visa for as a lot as one 12 months while residents of Djibouti can do so for up to three months. All different citizens need to request a visa before coming into Ethiopia. China Worldwide Journey Data We anticipate that the vast majority of EVUS enrollments will be processed and approved inside minutes. EVUS is designed to replace a traveler’s biographic and admissibility data on a periodic foundation (every two years, or after acquiring a new passport and/or most validity (10-year) U.S. visa). Each EVUS enrollment would require the traveler to offer his or her name, delivery date, emergency contact, passport info, biographical and employment info. Travelers will also answer questions associated to travel eligibility. However, a good friend, relative, journey business skilled, or another third get together could submit an EVUS enrollment on a traveler’s behalf. It takes just some minutes to complete the net Turkish visa form from China. 90% of all China visa purposes would require changes or corrections. Passport Plus Visas Document Pre-Check Service can save valuable time and scale back stress. Our experienced visa specialists will review and verify your scanned paperwork to verify that your application is ready to be filed, and can provide you with a warning if there is information that needs to be corrected or if there any missing paperwork. E-mail copies of the paperwork from Step 1 to See fees under. If you need to keep in China past the allowed stay duration in your customer visa, you can apply for an extension at the local Exit and Entry Administration of China seven days before your L visa expires. To go to Germany, many world nationals may have a visa. Since 1995 when Germany as an EU Member State also grew to become a member state of the Schengen Area, travellers can enter Germany with a Schengen Visa. Travelers are also suggested that the interval of keep is granted at the discretion of the Jamaican Immigration authorities. Frequent travelers to Jamaica ought to observe that after the cumulative number of days exceed 180 days in a calendar 12 months, they're required to acquire a visa from the nearest Jamaican Consular mission or post, prior to being re-admitted into Jamaica. Sample of China Tourist VisaIn most cases, a vacationer can get a single entry L visa with a stay period of 30 days. UK, US, Canadian, and Argentine citizens are capable of get a 10-year China tourist visa with a quantity of entries. Nationals of Counties which are eligible for visas at the Port of Entry are required to pay a charge of U$100.00 upon arrival in Jamaica. Information on the application of legislation concerning the seizure of passports belonging to people who're suspected or accused of committing a felony offense was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate throughout the time constraints of this Response. Defendants in a criminal case involving overseas jurisdictional issues could also be restricted from leaving the nation; witnesses who must seem in court docket for a trial open to the public could also be required to leaving the nation. It usually takes 4 working days for processing a China journey visa. For categorical service, an additional charge of USD 20 shall be charged for 2 or three working day service. Chinese Visa, China Visa Utility Travelers with longer than 48 hours to wait until their onward flight want to use for a visa for Egypt. Other visitors only want a visa to transit via Egypt if the layover exceeds forty eight hours. This article explains who wants a visa to transit and the method to apply for an Egyptian visa on-line. 3 - Visa free for both "Passport For Public Affairs" or "Passport For Official Trip". Visa free additionally applies to collective passports for public affairs. 2 - Visa free only for holders of "E-series" normal passports. Please see the section on DUAL NATIONALITY for the boundaries on consular notification and access to twin nationals. If you have already got been sufferer of a scam, catalogue as many particulars as potential, including names, telephone and financial institution numbers, and e mail and IP addresses; file a police report, and inform the us Once the extension is added to your passport , there’s a great chance they’ll cancel your 90 day visa. It’s not for positive, but I wouldn’t think about it a viable choice. Usually this means applying sometime between a month and three months before your scheduled departure. In many circumstances you’ll have to have already bought your flight tickets in order to apply for a China visa . There are many nuances to obtaining a Russian visa, together with needing a Russian sponsor, which might be a journey company, relative, good friend, lodge, or university. There are additionally locations in Russia the place Americans aren't permitted to go. It is finest to e-book travel via a known travel company that may grant sponsorship and assist you to navigate the visa system. Covid Vaccine On March 2, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqi introduced that China will present 800,000 doses of Covid vaccine up from half 1,000,000 promised earlier. The present is to support Nepal's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Hou stated in a Twitter publish. Some government officers informed IANS that the Chinese move could be pressure on Nepal to roll out the Chinese vaccines as Nepal has solely being utilizing Covishield vaccine manufactured by India's Serum Institute. This previous Tuesday, I entered Thailand for the second time since the pandemic began in 2020. The visas are issued for business/work-related functions and these that want one on pressing humanitarian grounds. China is restarting issuing visas in Hong Kong & Macao on March 15, 2021, for these inoculated with Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccines. While there were talks about “travel bubbles”, corresponding to that proposed between Hong Kong and Singapore, concrete plans have yet to come to fruition. That is, till most recently, when the EU announced a version of its “vaccine passport”, underneath which those that can produce proof of vaccination with a quantity of recognised vaccine manufacturers may travel free from quarantine obligations into continental Europe. China continues to restrict entry by overseas nationals, for example, for those entering on the idea of a work task. For travelers who are able to be efficiently admitted into China will remain topic to related Chinese quarantine rules and screenings post-admission. According to the Chinese embassy situated within the Philippines, they are going to be returning to pre-pandemic visa requirements for these fully vaccinated. China officials have also introduced streamlined visa procedures for vaccinated foreigners getting into Hong Kong. The eligibility criteria for visa software "out of emergency humanitarian needs" will be broadened as acceptable. A proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid take a look at result and the Health and Travel Record Declaration Form for Visa Application are not required. From September 2020, overseas nationals holding legitimate Chinese residence permits for work, private matters and household reunion have been allowed to enter China without applying for new visas. From March 2021, the PRC began providing visa facilitation to international nationals which have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and that have been planning to travel to China to conduct important business activities or to go to family members. For nearly a 12 months now, after the coronavirus unfold globally, the nation has barred most overseas nationals. Those who can get in, usually for work, want to point out a negative coronavirus check end result and likewise take an antibody test earlier than boarding, as properly as quarantine for a minimal of 14 days after arrival. Visa Requirements Your US student visa is legitimate till the date shown in your visa. The CBP officer will report a separate date or “D/S” on your I-94 type. You could stay in the US till this date even if your visa expires during your stay. However, if you depart the US with an expired visa, you will need to acquire a brand new one before having the flexibility to return and resume your studies. Local regulations require foreigners to hold legitimate passports and Chinese visas or residence permits at all times. Passengers who enter the Republic of China by way of the Taipei Song Shan Airport, the Taichung Airport and the Kaohsiung International Airport shall apply for "short-term entry allow" at Border Affairs Corps of National Immigration Agency . To keep away from getting a foul report in Taiwan, the holder of this allow ought to apply for a visa as soon as potential on the Bureau of Consular Affairs or at either of the department places of work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taichung or Kaohsiung. The holder might want to submit his/her passport, temporary entry permit when making use of for the visa. Holders of emergency or short-term passports with validity of greater than six months for nationals of those international locations eligible for visa-exempt entry. And in an interview with the Beijing-based Global Times on the same day, an official defined the logistical challenge in withdrawing residents whereas the warfare was raging. “I don’t know why the embassy didn’t inform us the warfare was going to interrupt out when other international locations suggested their citizens to go away days earlier than,” he mentioned. Yang – not his actual name - then followed his university’s emergency protocols and took refuge in a bomb shelter.

#台胞證

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kathleenseiber · 3 years

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You may have missed…

New dinosaur named ‘the one who causes fear’

The discovery of a new dinosaur has been published in the Journal of Vertebrate Palaeonotology. The dinosaur has been named Llukalkan aliocranianus, meaning “the one who causes fear”.

About 80 million years ago, Llukalkan was believed to be among the top predators in what is now Patagonia. It could grow to up to five metres in size, had an extremely powerful bite with sharp teeth, huge claws and a keen sense of smell.

The dinosaur is part of the Abelisauridae family, and it features a rougher and shorter skull than its other abelisaurid relatives. This probably gave it better hearing.

Its full name comes from both native Mapuche (Llukalkan, “one who causes fear”), and Latin (aliocranianus, “different skull”).

“This is a particularly important discovery because it suggests that the diversity and abundance of abelisaurids were remarkable, not only across Patagonia, but also in more local areas during the dinosaurs’ twilight period,” says lead author Dr Federico Gianechini, a paleontologist at the National University of San Luis, Argentina.

Mummified scarlet macaw recovered from Pica 8 in northern Chile. Credit: Calogero Santoro, Universidad de Tarapacá, and José Capriles, Penn State

Mummified parrots hint at ancient trade in the Atacama Desert

A study of mummified parrots from the Atacama Desert has shown that communities there traded with the rest of South America for at least 350 years between 1100 and 1450 CE.

Live scarlet macaw from the Bolivian Amazonia. Credit: Carlos Capriles Farfán

Parrots and macaws appear in other parts of South America, but they’re not native to the arid Atacama. The research, published in PNAS, examined mummified parrot remains found in that area with radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA testing and isotopic dietary analysis. They found the original birds belonged in the eastern Amazon, at least 500 kilometres away.

“The fact that live birds made their way across the more-than-10,000-foot-high Andes is amazing,” says José M. Capriles, assistant professor of anthropology at Penn State University in the US. “They had to be transported across huge steppes, cold weather and difficult terrain to the Atacama. And they had to be kept alive.”

Detail of mummified blue-fronted amazon recovered from Pica 8 cemetery in the Atacama Desert. Credit: Calogero Santoro, Universidad de Tarapacá and José Capriles, Penn State

The birds have mostly been associated with human burials, but the haphazard way samples have been collected – through salvaging, museum archives and archaeological digs – makes the data patchy in some areas.

“We have absolutely no idea why they were mummified like this,” says Capriles. “They seem to be eviscerated through their cloaca (a common excretory and reproductive opening), which helped to preserve them. Many times, they were wrapped in textiles or bags.”

Shakespeare could help medical students empathise with patients

An article published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine advocates for study of William Shakespeare’s plays in medical school. The paper, written by palliative care doctor David Jeffrey, suggests that the empathetic approach of the playwright can improve the doctor-patient relationship.

“Shakespeare speaks through times of crisis, underlining the centrality of empathic human relationships,” writes Jeffrey.

“Medical humanities are often on the fringes of medical education but should be central to medicine culture change. A special study module would be one way of introducing Shakespeare studies to the undergraduate curriculum.”

Grizzly bears find hiking trails ideal

Grizzly bears seem to be attracted to human hiking trails in North America, with a disproportionately high number of bears encountering hikers when they have the rest of a park to roam. New research by The Company of Biologists explains why, showing that the maximum gradients set by the US National Park service are ideal for bears as well as humans.

The researchers examined captive grizzlies in a specially designed enclosure, with treadmills that could be adjusted to different gradients. “Grizzly bears are amazing animals to work with,” says Anthony Carnahan, lead other on a paper published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. “As long as you respect what they’re capable of, don’t surprise them and give them space, they’re actually pretty predictable.”

The team tracked the oxygen consumption of the bears as they plodded along the treadmills, encouraged by the occasional apple treat, administered through a wall to protect the researchers. “The most stressful part of rewarding them was ensuring that the apple slice didn’t fall resulting in the bear turning around on the treadmill to go after it,” says Carnahan.

They found that the bears needed a lot of energy to ascend and descend steep slopes, and tended to select paths with a gradient of no more than 10% – much like humans.

Mice hold venomous potential

Hidden inside our genome is a genetic foundation for oral venom that we share with snakes.

The Taiwan habu is an invasive species that has become well established in Okinawa. Credit: OIST/Steven Aird

Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) and the Australian National University published a paper in PNAS that details the molecular link between venom glands in snakes and saliva glands in mammals.

The venom used in the study was collected from the Taiwan habu snake and compared to mice.

“Many scientists have intuitively believed this is true, but this is the first real solid evidence for the theory that venom glands evolved from early salivary glands,” says lead author Agneesh Barua of OIST.

“And while snakes then went crazy, incorporating many different toxins into their venom and increasing the number of genes involved in producing venom, mammals like shrews produce simpler venom that has a high similarity to saliva.”

You may have missed… published first on https://triviaqaweb.weebly.com/

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uk-news-talking-politics · 3 years

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Assisted suicide ‘is the abandonment of care’

By Scott Benton MP

Recent calls for a parliamentary review of assisted suicide prematurely presume that the winds of political and social change are blowing in favour of legalisation. Through heavy focus on hard cases and hardly any coverage of the life-giving merits of palliative care, some proponents of change in Parliament have grandly overstated the problems with the status quo and grossly overestimated the successes of assisted suicide legislation elsewhere. As the most recent government response to a parliamentary urgent question on foreign travel for assisted suicide demonstrates, their demands are far from measured in their misleading comparisons and claims. And as the most recent government reply to a written question on a future review of the law around assisted suicide suggests, those advocating for assisted suicide have far from full support in Westminster and Whitehall. Addressing the secretary of state for health and social care Matt Hancock, Andrew Mitchell suggested that the ‘suffering that the blanket ban on assisted dying is causing dying people and their families […] [and] the challenges that the current law is creating for healthcare professionals, police officers and other public servants...’ would be alleviated by a ‘very tight reform’, effectively resembling the system of assisted suicide available in the American state of Oregon, with the addition of ‘suicide courts’ to pass judgement on who should live or die. Assisted suicide advocates place the Pacific Northwestern state on a pedestal, claiming it has robust regulation and successful safeguards that prove assisted suicide laws work. Yet they conveniently ignore the ways in which the Oregon Death with Dignity Act has been bent and broken since 1997. The rate has skyrocketed by over 1000% from 1998 to 2019, and while almost half of all patients in that period have cited concern about being or becoming a burden on family, friends, and caregivers among their end-of-life worries, only around a quarter were concerned by inadequate pain control. As in the handful of other jurisdictions that have legalised assisted suicide, less than six per cent of countries worldwide, access continues to expand. In Oregon, it is now possible to have your life ended on the basis of ‘terminal’ conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and complications following a fall. Any proposal that the UK can engineer an Oregon-plus system of assisted suicide with even tighter safeguards ignores that only four per cent of Oregon patients since 1998 have been referred for psychiatric evaluation and almost the same number have suffered complications. Furthermore, complications are only reported when the physician or alternate health care provider is present at the time of death, which has not been the case for 60.5% of deaths since 1998. Most strikingly, the Oregon Health Authority is concerned by the growing number of suicides across all age groups yet unconcerned by the vast increase in assisted suicides over the past two decades. Indeed, a study of suicide rates across the American states that have legalised assisted suicide illustrates that legalisation is associated with an increase in the total suicide rate. While advocacy for assisted suicide claims strong public support, as Christine Jardine suggested during the latest debate, the polling of public support for assisted suicide is hindered by simplistic questions. When more precise issues are presented to the public, the results are more complicated. This was certainly the case in a February 2019 survey when 51% responded that they would be concerned that the legalisation of assisted suicide might cause some people to feel pressurised into accepting lethal medication to avoid burdening others. Other arguments for legalising assisted suicide centre on the present danger of prosecution. Though these claims summon strong emotions around perceived injustice, they misrepresent the reality. Only three cases of possible assistance or encouragement of suicide in England and Wales have resulted in prosecutions since 2009. Prosecution is rare, and serves as an essential safeguard against abuse and exploitation of some of the most vulnerable in our society. The merits of palliative care seldom feature in petitions for assisted suicide legislation. As Danny Kruger highlighted in his contribution during the recent debate, modern medicine can effectively alleviate distressing symptoms associated with the dying process. Rather than sidelining such services as a separate issue, proponents of assisted suicide should instead demand universal access to high-quality palliative care. Notably, 90% of palliative care specialists opposed legalising assisted suicide in the form of the 2015 Marris assisted suicide bill. A recent British Medical Association members’ survey found that 76% of palliative care specialists - those who have the most expertise and experience in caring for the terminally ill at the end of life - oppose any legalisation of assisted suicide, and the same percentage declared that they would be unwilling to participate in any such activity. The terminally ill deserve the best palliative care available. Vulnerable patients who experience suicidal ideation should receive high-quality physical and psychological care that reaffirms their inherent dignity, rather than medical confirmation, here or abroad, of their diminished view of their own life. Matt Hancock himself stated that ‘[t]he global devastation of the coronavirus pandemic has brought to the fore the importance of high-quality palliative care’. Indeed, as the Department of Health and Social Care continues to battle the Covid-19 crisis, it is my hope that investment in hospice care remains high on the agenda. Certainly, the government must respond to the recent survey from Hospice UK which shows an overwhelming 93% of hospice leaders were concerned that their patients with end of life and palliative care needs could miss essential treatment because of stretched resources.

As Fiona Bruce powerfully argued in the Chamber, ‘when the whole country is making huge sacrifices to protect life, at a time of exceptionally high levels of physical and mental stress, and when many people may feel very vulnerable [...] it would be completely inappropriate—indeed, insensitive—of this Parliament to go anywhere near considering making access to any form of suicide easier’. Far too many of our citizens have experienced unprecedented loneliness, uncertainty, and change during this often paralysing pandemic, and introducing assisted suicide would be far too rash a response. Thankfully, the government has resisted the latest round of pressure from assisted suicide advocates. They are not alone in standing firm against an unnecessary and unsafe proposal: Perhaps tellingly, not a single doctors group or major disability rights organisation in the UK supports changing the law, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Physicians, the British Geriatric Society, the Association for Palliative Medicine, Disability Rights UK, SCOPE, United Kingdom’s Disabled People’s Council, and others. Laws send social messages. An assisted dying law, however well intended, would alter society’s attitude towards the elderly, seriously ill, and disabled, suggesting that assisted dying is an option they ‘ought’ to consider.

#Assisted dying #euthanasia

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fullcirclehealthsalesreps88 · 3 years

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2018 BC Health Care Awards Recipients Revealed

VANCOUVER - Recipients of the 12th annual BC Health Care Awards were announced today at a gala luncheon in Vancouver. Twelve Gold Apple and six Award of Merit recipients were honoured.

Presented by the Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC), the awards recognize British Columbians who are providing outstanding care and support. Awards are given in 11 categories to projects improving delivery through innovative and collaborative approaches and to people making a positive impact and inspiring those around them.

"BC's medical professionals - including support staff - genuinely care about delivering quality care to British Columbians," said Michael McMillan, HEABC's President and CEO. "The BCHC Awards are an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the individual and team contributions made by these individuals."

New this year - Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care

Named in honour of Dianna Mah-Jones, this award is for a team or project that makes use of leading practices to improve care for patients, residents or clients by focusing on the needs of the person rather than the needs of the system or service. Dianna Mah-Jones, an occupational therapist at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, was tragically killed, along with her husband Richard Jones, just three months after being named Provincial HC Hero at the 2017 awards. Our hope is that this ward will help to keep her memory and legacy alive by recognizing others who strive to deliver care that is respectful of the needs, values and preferences of individuals.

2018 Gold Apple winners

Provincial HC Hero & HC Hero - Provincial Health Services Authority

Glenn Braithwaite - District Supervisor, Emergency Coordinator, BCEHS

Glenn Jay Braithwaite is a Paramedic and District Supervisor at BC Ambulance Service, recognized for providing exceptional emergency response and for his clinical leadership abilities. He's received several professional accolades for his heroic actions, and his outstanding commitment to patients, colleagues and the broader community.

Provincial HC Hero & HC Hero - Island Health

Dr. Ramm Hering - Physician Lead, Primary Care Substance Use, Island Health

By passionately and effectively advocating for improved services for patients dealing with substance use and addiction, Dr. Hering has inspired his colleagues to work together to develop new programs and create an efficient, client-centred system of addiction services.

HC Hero - Affiliate

Dr. David Agulnik- Emergency Physician, St. Paul's Hospital

HC Hero - Fraser Health

Mits Miyata - Pharmacy Manager, Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services

HC Hero - Interior Health

Lynda Martyn - Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, Coordinator Kelowna Cleft Lip/Palate Clinic

HC Hero - Northern Health

Debbie Strang - Health Services Administrator, Quesnel

HC Hero - Provincial Health Services Authority

Dr. Faisal Khosa - Associate Professor, Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital

Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care

International Seating Symposium - Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Provincial Health Services Authority

The International Seating Symposium has created an international forum that fosters an exchange of ideas and a network of consumers, rehabilitation therapists, physicians, designers, and manufacturers of positioning and mobility equipment. This has inspired improvements in rehabilitation equipment and technology that have improved mobility, comfort and quality of life for people with disabilities.

Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care

Residential Care for Me: Megamorphosis - Seniors Care and Palliative Services, Providence

The goal of Residential Care for Me: Megamorphosis is to change the residential care culture from an institutional to a social model of care, and improve quality of life for residents by rapidly testing and implementing changes that focus on emotional connections, allow residents to direct each moment, and create the feeling of home. Get More Info Full Circle Health Sales Reps

Top Innovation

SNIFF: C. Difficile Canine Scent Detection Program - Vancouver Coastal Health

An innovative and dedicated team of people and a growing roster of pups known as the C. Difficile Scent Detection Program is pioneering a cost-effective method to improve and enhance C. Difficile surveillance and improve infection control and prevention practices.

Workplace Health Innovation

VGH Emergency Department Healthy Workplace Initiative - Vancouver Coastal Health

Vancouver General Hospital's emergency department formed a multi-disciplinary team with the goal of working together to improve workplace health and safety, leading to an improved working climate where staff report feeling engaged and better able to provide the type of quality care that emergency patients deserve.

Collaborative Solutions

Improving Indigenous Cancer Journeys: A Road Map - BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, BC Cancer (Provincial Health Services Authority), First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation BC

The Indigenous Cancer Strategy is a collaborative strategy that will improve indigenous cancer outcomes by addressing all steps of the cancer journey, from prevention and treatment, through to survivorship and end-of-life care.

This year's Awards of Merit recipients are:

Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care

• Resources and Needs Review - Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Island Health

Top Innovation

• Symphony QuickCall - Workforce Management Solutions, Provincial Health Services Authority

• Fall-unteers: A Volunteer-Based Falls Prevention Strategy in Residential Care - Holy Family Hospital Residential Care, Providence

Workplace Health Innovation

• Reducing Workplace Injuries through Leading Practices - Menno Place

Collaborative Solutions

• Regional Strategy for Reducing Ambulance Turnaround Times - BC Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Fraser Health

• Vancouver Shared Care Team - Doctors of BC, Providence, Vancouver Coastal Health

Since the awards launched in 2007, more than 200 Gold Apples and Awards of Merit have been awarded to health employees who are improving BC's healthcare system and patient care.

The 2018 BCHC Awards are generously supported by Great-West Life, Healthcare Benefit Trust, and Pacific Blue Cross.

Visit BCHealthCareAwards.ca,to learn more about the 2018 awards winners.

The Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) is the accredited bargaining agent for most publicly funded health employers in the province, representing denominational, proprietary and affiliate health employers, as well as the province's six health authorities. HEABC coordinates the labour relations interests of 250 publicly funded healthcare employers and negotiates five major provincial agreements covering more than 120,000 unionized employees.

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hdadvocate · 2 years

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Hospice and Huntington's Disease

Hospice and Huntington’s Disease

Author Therese Crutcher-Marin, HD Advocate November is National Hospice and Palliative Month Since I worked in hospice for the last ten (10) years of my career, each year I like to promote it as the greatest gift you can give to your loved one and family when confronted with a terminal diagnosis. Hospice is a special kind of care when all treatments have been exhausted for an individual with…

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#familyiseverything #WatchingTheirDance

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thebaileynina · 3 years

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coronavirus pandemic has resulted in isolation issues, communication barriers and grief-related issues for patients and their caregivers.

A national study of palliative care social workers indicated that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in isolation issues, communication barriers and grief-related issues for patients and their caregivers. As hospice providers exploit the text of COVID-19, these issues highlight the increasing need to activate leisure care in the home, with social workers playing a key role in building construction. The World Health Organization has reported that one in five people have so far been seriously ill with COVID-19, with recent data showing more than 1.5 million confirmed deaths worldwide. According to the United States Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 280,000 people have died in the United States alone since January. The deadly pandemic has engulfed the entire healthcare system, with severe consequences for end-of-life care.

“Hospice patients are an extremely vulnerable population, and one of the things we know about COVID is that home emissions are rampant” said Megan Kale-Cheever, study co-author, head of Quality and Safety at Hospice and Hospice at Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio. “Palliative care teams work with families to put in place back-up care plans or home isolation plans in case someone gets sick. Everything is more complicated”. The study, conducted between May 15 and June 15, 2020, examined the trajectory of the pandemic during what researchers have called a transition period for hospice providers. The study authors interviewed more than 200 hospice social workers who are members of the National Association of Social Workers’ server list, as well as social networking sites associated with the social work community at the Society for Social Worker Leadership, Social workers in nursing and health establishments and the network of palliative care and social work hospices.

The results suggest that increased access to respite care would benefit patients and their families affected by the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the ability of hospices to provide respite care. Limited access to nursing homes, fear of spreading the virus, and growing demand are hampering provider respite programs. Medicare typically allows inpatient respite care for up to five days when your caregivers become ill or need rest or other priorities. Providers often provide this care in a hospice, hospital or retirement home. There are four levels of polycarbonate care covered by Medicare as well as routine home care, home care and general hospital care.

“The expansion of respite benefits will be important,” said co-author Erika Gergerich, a registered clinical social worker and associate professor at New Mexico State University. “At a time when hospitals and nursing homes are overwhelmed by COVID-19, being able to bring loved ones home to die in peace with family is a blessing. Congress is currently considering legislation that, during any national emergency declared by the federal government, would increase the maximum length of stay for a hospice respite to 15 days, from five days. If passed, the bill would also allow hospices to provide respite care in the patient’s home. However, at the moment, many hospices are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to respite care, in part because of the huge needs fueled by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Respondents also cited isolation as a major problem for patients, their families and caregivers, both in facilities and in community settings, with some reporting a delay of 10 to 12 weeks for patients seeing loved ones.

Isolation is a growing barrier as the virus continues to spread, and many hospice providers face the challenge of keeping patients and their families connected, often at a distance through telehealth and other forms of virtual communication. According to Kale-Cheever, for families of patients residing in group care facilities with visitation restrictions, palliative care provides a crucial bridge between the ill person, the facility and the family. The palliative care team provides updates, facilitates video conferencing, and advocates for the patient on behalf of the family.

The results of the study suggest that there is a need to focus on virtual communication, emergency planning by social workers and evidence-based interventions for complex and persistent bereavement disorders to help patients, families and staff. Palliative care social workers will need to play a key role in complementing support for patients and their families struggling with isolation, limited communication and pain, according to the study researchers.

“Social workers in hospices have a lot of practical knowledge about bereavement and complicated bereavement that requires wider application,” said Gergerich.

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captainbaudelaire · 3 years

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The point is more that he is expressing his belief that having a disability makes you somehow less than - it’s just eugenics. If the point he’s making is that your life should end before you become disabled - what does he think about people who are disabled right now?

1. Read the article (i assume you haven’t)- he tells you what he thinks about disabled people. Spoilers- he doesn’t think they should die or that they’re stupid for wanting to live or anything like that. He also doesn’t think that old people seeking treatment to extend their lives are unethical or stupid for doing so. A snappy and provocative title would suggest he might believe otherwise, I’ll admit, but that’s not his position or what he’s talking about at all.

2. I’d also quibble about being able to label him as a eugenicist based off of this article alone. He’s expressing an opinion that he doesn’t want to deal with the harsher realities of old age. At that point in life, a statistically average individual would have ample time to reproduce and pass on their genes. Killing old people who already have had kids (and would have difficulty having them now even if they wanted to), wouldn’t do much to influence the gene pool at all, let alone “improve” it as a eugenicist would want.

3. Quibbling aside, he’s clear from the beginning that he’s expressing a personal preference, and that he’s not trying to sway you to his way of thinking or institute (or even advocate for) a policy to kill people above 75 years old. He also states that he’s historically against euthanasia and assisted suicide.

4. That preference is not set in stone and might not be as extreme as one could imagine. He chose 75 arbitrarily (his own admission), but that’s not fixed. He admits that as he approaches his 75th, he would probably extend that date (or maybe change his mind entirely). And it’s not that he’s going to kill himself at 12:01am on his 75th birthday. It’s just that he’s no longer going to seek or accept any treatment that will prolong his life. He’ll accept palliative care (pain relief but not actual treatment) to ease him into death when “whatever comes first takes me”. That’s not without precedent. Some older people or people with particularly severe diagnoses choose to not seek treatment if they believe the treatment would ruin their quality of life more than it would extend it. It’s their right to accept or deny their own medical care.

5. The major point of the article is his response to the idea (borderline assumption) that we all should prolong our lives in whatever way necessary so that we live as long as possible (becoming, as he says, the ”the American Immortal”). If that’s your jam, then cool. Best of luck and all that. No judgement from the author (or from me, for that matter). But he’s not buying. He’s challenging, at least in his own life, the notion that we should fight tooth and nail for a deteriorating quality of life (an inevitable decline regardless of where one starts; age does not discriminate) simply because that’s what we “should” do. That’s not good enough for him so once he’s past a certain age, he’s not planning on doing it. Everyone else is free to decide for themselves.

6. He also remarks on how an American pace of life doesn’t really allow us time or space for thinking about the end of life. For him, setting a deadline (forgive the pun) helps him think more seriously about how he’s going to live the rest of his life. Even knowing his 75th birthday is not necessarily the end of the line, it gives him a landmark to keep an eye on. For him, he wants to celebrate the life he’s lived and cherish the time he has left. And when the time comes, he will pass on, as we all will eventually (”all roads lead to Hades”, if you will).

To close, please allow me clarify: a life is a life, and it’s worth just as much as anyone else. No one should feel pressured or shamed for pursuing life with a disability. I apologize for not being clear from the beginning, and if anyone was hurt by my words, I apologize. Thank you for the question, Anon.

Edit: This article was written 6 years ago (although the tweet says 2019, the Atlantic published it in October 2014). A lot could have changed during that time. This post should not serve as a endorsement of his position in the Biden administration or of any action that he takes acting in that position. I’m not familiar with his career or stance on anything else. I only wanted to comment on how the tweet and title of the article could be interpreted to convey something beyond what the article actually stated.

tl;dr- from what i’ve read of this article, he’s not a eugenicist, and he doesn’t hate disabled or old people. he personally doesn’t want to suffer the inevitable increase in medical treatment (and the discomfort therein) required to keep his aging mind and body as functional as possible for as long as possible because we “should”.

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furryalligator · 4 years

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Canada Post set recognizes modern medical innovators. https://t.co/KZI0m5rt9I #LinnsStampNews @canadapostcorp pic.twitter.com/MSHm4sD53e

— Linn's Stamp News (@LinnsStampNews) September 10, 2020

Canada Post honors the country’s medical trailblazers with five nondenominated permanent-rate (currently 92¢) stamps issued Sept. 10.

The designs show six of the country’s cutting-edge physicians and researchers: Bruce Chown, Julio Montaner, Balfour Mount, M. Vera Peters, James Till and Ernest McCulloch.

The Medical Groundbreakers set comes in a self-adhesive booklet of 10 (product number 414152111).

“This enduring tribute to Canadian health heroes honors their groundbreaking work and brings more awareness to their contributions and discoveries,” said Lissa Foster, executive director of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. “We can all be immensely proud of the global impact of these pioneering Canadians and our country’s contributions to health, here and in the world.”

The September issue of Canada Post’s Details magazine for collectors announced the new stamp set and described the achievements of each leader.

Dr. Bruce Chown (1893-1986), a scientist, played a key role in developing a treatment for the deadly rhesus (Rh) disease, a condition where antibodies in a pregnant woman’s blood destroy her offspring’s blood cells. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he established the Winnipeg Rh Laboratory in 1944, and his team paved the way for the development of a protein injection that has saved the lives of countless babies.

The stamp design includes a newborn alongside Chown’s photo.

Argentinean-Canadian Dr. Julio Montaner (born 1956) is executive director and physician-in-chief at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Since the late 1980s, he has authored more than 800 scientific publications on HIV/AIDS. Through his extensive research he has helped advance the treatment of the disease.

Montaner made advances in a highly effective medication strategy known as “treatment as prevention” to significantly reduce the amount of HIV in the bloodstream. His stamp includes a red HIV awareness ribbon.

Dr. Balfour Mount (born 1939) is credited with coining the term “palliative care” and advocating for a compassionate whole-person approach to caring for individuals suffering from a life-threatening illness. In 1975 he founded the world’s first comprehensive palliative care service based in a teaching hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec.

The stamp honoring Mount carries an image of a person being cared for at the last stages of life.

Dr. M. Vera Peters’ (1911-93) achievements include advancements in the treatment and management of Hodgkin lymphoma and breast cancer. A 2010 inductee into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, the organization explains the Toronto-born oncologist’s tenacity: “One cannot fully appreciate the impact of Dr. Peters’ work without taking into account the challenges she faced as a female in an era when women were not universally accepted as scientists. To graduate in the 1930s from medical school and emerge out of the 1960s as a world-class figure in oncology is a testament to her dogged determination and ingenuity.”

The background of the Peters commemorative represents her work in radiation therapy.

In the 1960s, Dr. James Till (born 1931) and Dr. Ernest McCulloch (1926-2011) became the first scientists to confirm the existence of stem cells and establish their properties, which has remained unchanged today. Their work has been vital for the treatment of many hard-to-manage diseases and conditions. The two scientists appear on the fifth stamp in the set.

Mike Savage and Dale Kilian from Signals Design Group designed the stamps, using photographs from various sources.

Colour Innovations printed the stamps by five-color lithography. A total of 130,000 booklets were printed. The stamps measure 38 millimeters by 30mm.

Canada Post serviced 2,000 first-day covers for each stamp with a pictorial cancel showing the Rod of Asclepius: the well-known medical symbol of a snake twisted around a staff.

#LinnsStampNews #canada post #@canadapostcorp #2020 stamps #Medical Groundbreakers #postage stamps #stamps #modern medical innovators #@LinnsStampNews #Dr. James Till #Dr. Ernest McCulloch #Signals Design Group #Dr. M. Vera Peters #Dr. Balfour Mount #Dr. Julio Montaner #Dr. Bruce Chown

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kristinsimmons · 4 years

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“Essential Oncology”: The COVID Challenge

By CHADI NABHAN MD, MBA, FACP

One harsh Chicago winter, I remember calling a patient to cancel his appointment because we had deemed it too risky for patients to come in for routine visits—a major snowstorm made us rethink all non-essential appointments. Mr. Z was scheduled for his 3-month follow-up for an aggressive brain lymphoma that was diagnosed the prior year, during which he endured several rounds of intense chemotherapy. His discontent in hearing that his appointment was canceled was palpable; he confessed that he was very much looking forward to the visit so that he could greet the nurses, front-desk staff, and ask me how I was doing. My carefully crafted script explaining that his visit was “non-essential” and “postponable” fell on deaf ears. I was unprepared to hear Mr. Z question: if this is his care, shouldn’t he be the one to decide what’s essential and what’s not?

This is a question we are all grappling with in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare industry is struggling to decide how to handle patient visits to doctor’s offices, hospitals, and imaging centers, among others. Elective surgeries are being canceled and advocates are arguing that non-essential outpatient and ER visits should be stopped. Ideas are flying left and right on how best to triage patients in need. Everyone has an opinion, including those who ironically consider themselves non-opinionated.

As an oncologist, these various views, sentiments, tweets, and posts give me pause. I understand the rationale to minimize patients’ exposure and thus prevent transmission. However, reconsidering what we should deem “essential” has made me reflect broadly on our method of providing care. Suddenly, physicians are becoming less concerned about (and constrained by) guidelines and requirements. Learning how to practice “essential oncology” may leave lasting changes in our field.

I may not be an authority on deciding what’s an elective versus non-elective surgery, but I will take a stand and offer some of my thoughts on the current state and what might await us as oncologists in the post-COVID-19 era. Before I offer my opinions on essential oncology, I thought I should ensure that my definition of “essential” matches that of others. Assuming that some patients might have already done so, I Googled the term and found that Oxford defines “essential” as “a thing that is absolutely necessary,” while Merriam Webster’s definition of “essential” is “something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable.” Neither definition infers perspective, but we can all agree that what’s deemed necessary is in the eyes of the beholder. As such, in tackling this pandemic, oncologists are having to take a long, hard look at what care is necessary to provide and which guidelines are necessary to follow.

First off, some are questioning our current dosing schedules of chemotherapy, including the novel ones such as checkpoint inhibitors. Why not give that chemo drug every 4 weeks instead of every 2 weeks? Maybe we should give nivolumab every 6 weeks? Let’s lower the dose of pembrolizumab and skip a few days of venetoclax. Opinions vary, but the concept is the same: let’s give less chemo because suddenly COVID-19 is riskier than cancer. If our dose modification schemes change (most of which were not based on real basic science or pharmacology) this might throw all our regimens in shambles. If outcomes are not adversely affected, do we go back to our routine dosing and scheduling, or do we maintain the novel COVID-19 approach to chemotherapy? You tell me.

Next, my inbox has been flooded with invitations to attend webinars and virtual meetings on how best to manage patients during COVID-19 and how to balance risks and benefits, as if such balance should never exist outside of a pandemic. Never have I seen the oncology community engage in more debates about the risk/benefit ratio of chemotherapy in late-stage metastatic incurable malignancies. Suddenly, physicians who had been advocating 4th line chemotherapy for a metastatic cancer where data were marginal became loud voices encouraging stopping chemotherapy and offering only palliative care. It took the COVID-19 pandemic for the oncology community to look at itself in the mirror and ask whether chemotherapy should be given in end-stage disease. This may be the only real benefit of COVID-19.

Furthermore, it has been proposed that adjuvant therapies can sometimes be delayed and that some drugs should be avoided. Many have argued that stem cell transplantation should be deferred until we are over the COVID-19 hump. I am certain that there will be studies in the years to come (I even might do one if I’m not too busy tweeting) on whether delays in adjuvant therapies for some cancers had any detrimental effect on outcomes. How would that affect guidelines, recommendations, and future care? Stay tuned; there will be so many papers on this and little time for peer-reviews.

Fourth, how we approach imaging in determining progression-free survival may entirely change. Typically, scans are needed every 6-8 weeks to determine a response to therapy and allow a decision on whether to continue or stop the treatment. I don’t want to bore you with the RECIST criteria (and trust me, it’s boring), but it’s what radiologists use when helping oncologists determine if an anti-cancer therapy is working or not when treating solid tumors. Thanks to COVID-19, oncologists now have to make these decisions based on how patients feel and their perception of whether the drug is providing a clinical benefit. It should have been this way before COVID-19, but it wasn’t. We were so blinded by RECIST that we sometimes missed the larger picture. Could COVID-19 be the death sentence to RECIST? Will we find out that we were overutilizing our scanners? Could COVID-19 lead to saving future healthcare costs when some of these guidelines change? Maybe.

Fifth, follow-up visits for cured patients or those in remission have always been—and should continue to be—considered an essential component of routine care. It might be in the not-so-distant future when hospital administrators decide that some kinds of patient visits need to be conducted virtually. However, the rapport and bond established between a patient and his/her physician extends beyond the duration of chemotherapy administration. Patients need the reassurance that their disease remains at bay. The positive energy from these visits is also welcomed by oncologists as a break from cases where patients are less fortunate and a reminder that patients do get cured. Stripping oncologists and our patients of this right to face-to-face routine visits seems cruel. For now, we can all endure deferring these appointments or transitioning to telemedicine for the greater good, but I fear that this might extend beyond COVID-19. While I agree that virtual visits can save time and money, most would concur that nothing replaces human-to-human interaction—especially now, when we’re all feeling the effects of social distancing. Remembering how important Mr. Z’s follow-up appointment was, I dread the day when hospitals consider converting these routine visits to virtual ones so that new patients can be accommodated.

Finally, will COVID-19 teach us how to better conduct clinical trials? Every oncologist understands the value of clinical trials and how they advance science and help patients. But trials are strictly regulated. Labs have to be drawn within X and Y times, scans must be done within X-days from subsequent therapy, and face-to-face visits are a must. Dispensing an investigational drug requires several staff members present and a verification process that is critical, but sometimes unnecessarily complicated. Now that clinical trials have taken a hit, will this pandemic teach CROs that 700 signatures on an adverse event sheet might not be needed? Would potential changes give patients more sense of autonomy when they are participating in these studies? I predict that if we apply the lessons learned from COVID-19 on how we conduct studies, enrollment in oncology trials will increase. But this means that all of us, including CROs, need to do things differently.

It has taken a pandemic and a relentless virus to get the medical community to think critically about our own behavior and the care that we provide. We will overcome this at some point, and although we will all remember the horror of COVID-19, maybe we can find a silver lining in camaraderie and in adjusting some of the ways we provide oncology care. Until then, please stay home.

Chadi Nabhan ( @chadinabhan) is a hematologist and oncologist in Chicago whose interests include lymphomas, healthcare delivery, strategy, and business of healthcare.

The post “Essential Oncology”: The COVID Challenge appeared first on The Health Care Blog.

“Essential Oncology”: The COVID Challenge published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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