Good morning, Other Siders!

Are you ready to dive into the latest and greatest in healthcare? Or are you just here for the terrible puns and dad jokes? Either way, you've come to the right place! Here's a joke to kick things off:

What do you call a dentist in the army? A drill sergeant! 🤣

In all seriousness, we've got some exciting news to share with you. As you may know, May 10th is National Clean Your Room Day!🧹So if you're feeling a little cluttered, take some time to tidy up your space. And while you're at it, why not organize your healthcare knowledge with our latest industry insights?

Speaking of which, in this edition, we'll be diving into the latest healthcare developments both in Canada and globally. From new technologies to healthcare policies, we've got it all covered.

But don't just take our word for it. Read on and discover for yourself!

News that impacts you!

🤱🧠💰 Canada Invests in Maternal Mental Health

On World Maternal Mental Health Day, the Canadian government announced almost $857,000 in funding to three organizations to support maternal mental health. These perinatal mental health issues can negatively impact not only the mother and child but also have long-lasting effects on families. The Women's College Hospital will receive $372,000 to develop national clinician guidelines for perinatal mood disorders. Additionally, The Public Health Agency of Canada will provide $279,000 to the Canadian Mothercraft Society and $206,000 to the Families Matter Society of Calgary. The government's commitment to developing mental health standards and ensuring timely access to perinatal mental health services is reflected in this announcement.

🏥🌎 Building Bridges: Refugees Fill Canadian Healthcare Labor Gaps

The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) is a federal program in Canada offering qualified refugees employment opportunities in areas with shortages of workers such as healthcare. The program aims to create a bridge between the need for healthcare workers and displaced people living in refugee camps who want to move to Canada. The candidates arrive in Canada as permanent residents and have to meet the same criteria as traditional economic immigrants. Employers in Nova Scotia have issued the greatest number of job offers to EMPP candidates. Since 2018, 132 people and their dependents have come to Canada this way, with the goal of welcoming 2,000 qualified refugees to work in various sectors over the next few years. The impact of the program is yet to be seen, but it is a step towards reducing the gap between job shortages and refugees' skills. The program provides hope for qualified refugees who have been invited to work in a nursing home in Nova Scotia but have yet to make it to Canada.

The question is, how long will it take for these qualified candidates to get to Canada?

🐶💊 Prescription for Loneliness: "Puppy of Choice"

A tweet sent by a Toronto doctor earlier this year, in which she prescribed a "puppy of choice" to help with feelings of loneliness and isolation, has brought attention to the practice of social prescribing. The practice involves referring patients to non-medical services, such as swimming lessons or anti-racism groups, as a way of treating non-medical symptoms. While the practice has been used by some physicians in Canada for years, it is now being formalized in some areas and could ease the burden on the healthcare system. Social prescribing has been found to reduce emergency visits and doctors' visits, particularly for seniors. The collaborative nature of social prescribing is key to its success.

Have you or someone you know ever been socially prescribed and what was your experience?

💭Let us know what you think by writing to us at [email protected]

Tools & Tech to Keep a Tab On!

🏥🏠 Hospital at Home: Giving Patients the Ability to Recover in the Comfort of Their Homes

Home hospitalization care will be offered in 8 health establishments across Quebec by 2024 and in many parts of the province in the next few months as part of a pilot project. As part of Phase 1, three territories in Montreal will implement home care with others in Quebec City, Laval, Monteregie, Lanaudiere and the Laurentians. Participation in the pilot project will be voluntary and patients will be able to recover in the comfort of their own homes. They will be seen virtually by a medical team, can contact a nurse by phone 24/7 and will have the same access to consultation and exam services as offered at the hospital. The long-term vision is to implement home hospital care in all 34 health establishments and centres in the province. This does remove a little bit of the anxiety that comes with the thought of being hospitalized!

🧠 🩺 Much Needed Improvement in Access to Mental Health Specialists

Nova Scotia Health and Dalhousie University's psychiatry department have partnered to launch the Rapid Access and Stabilization Program. This program offers speedy access to mental health specialists for individuals aged 19 or above struggling with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and stress-related conditions. By providing patients with a treatment plan, the program hopes to minimize the number of patients resorting to emergency departments for assistance. Medical practitioners can refer patients from the central zone, and if the treatment proves ineffective, patients can return to the program for further support.

💊 Safer e-Prescriptions: Expanding to Reduce Errors & Improve Safety

PrescribeIT® which enables prescribers to send prescriptions and renewals electronically to a patient's pharmacy of choice has entered into an agreement with Jean Coutu and Brunet. The aim of the agreement is to expand coverage to over 560 pharmacies under the Jean Coutu and Brunet banners across Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec over the next few months. The expansion in the use of PrescribeIT is aimed at making medication management easier and safer, improving communication between pharmacies and prescribers and increasing the choice provided to patients.

Evolving Global Health

🥳 Time to Celebrate the Beginning of One and the End of Another…”CORONA-TION”

The much-awaited news is finally here for us all to rejoice- the WHO announced the end of the ‘global health emergency’ status for COVID-19 after more than three years. This news means that countries can now manage COVID infections just as they would for any other infectious disease. However, this was not an easy win for the world and came at a hefty price, a price that many are still paying and one that exposed our vulnerability to such viruses.

🚭 As the Pandemic Seems to have Receded Away, an Endemic has been Growing in Parallel

Australia has announced that recreational vaping will be banned to curb the ever-rising number of a new generation of nicotine addicts. Although nicotine vapes require a prescription, the threat comes from a poorly regulated industry along with a flourishing black market. Initially marketed to help smokers quit since vapes do not contain harmful tobacco, it has gained popularity as a recreational activity, especially, among the youth. Health experts also suggest that vaping is not free of health risks and long-term consequences are still unknown.

The new vape reforms will include a ban on all disposable vapes and a crackdown on the import of non-prescription products. Vaping products will require pharmaceutical-like packaging and there will be restrictions on flavours, colours, nicotine concentrations and other ingredients. Although it will get easier for people to get a prescription for "legitimate therapeutic use", such curbs might mean people turn to the unregulated illegal market.

⌚️ Coaching You Towards Better Health

Codenamed ‘Quartz’, an AI-powered health coaching service is being developed by Apple to help users stay motivated to exercise, improve their eating habits, and sleep better. The service will be based on AI and user information from an Apple watch to provide tailored health plans. The Health, Siri and AI teams at Apple are developing the standalone app, however, the launch date is yet to be confirmed. In addition, Apple’s Health App is also set to get new features and tools for tracking emotions and will enable users to log their mood, answer questions about their day and compare results over time. The Health App is set to be the focus of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. Seems like you will run out of excuses for not improving your health with this one…

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