Allison Mullin / en Family doctors play growing role in Toronto health-care system: U of T report /news/family-doctors-play-growing-role-toronto-health-care-system-u-t-report <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Family doctors play growing role in Toronto health-care system: U of T report</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/close-up-doctor-health-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TDZ3T_Gc 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/close-up-doctor-health-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=B528IVql 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/close-up-doctor-health-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uQ_7r-Op 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/close-up-doctor-health-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TDZ3T_Gc" alt="Close-up photo of doctor's lab coat"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-05-17T12:25:49-04:00" title="Friday, May 17, 2019 - 12:25" class="datetime">Fri, 05/17/2019 - 12:25</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A new report by U of T's department of family and community medicine paints a comprehensive picture of family doctors in the Toronto area and the role they play in helping to alleviate the strain on Ontario's health-care system (photo by Pixabay)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/allison-mullin" hreflang="en">Allison Mullin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ontario-impact" hreflang="en">Ontario Impact</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chronic-illness" hreflang="en">Chronic Illness</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mental-health" hreflang="en">Mental Health</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Beyond common colds and flu, the number of patients visiting their family doctors for issues related to mental illness and chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension is on the rise, according to a new report on the state of family medicine in the Greater Toronto Area.</p> <p>The recently released <a href="https://issuu.com/dfcm/docs/u_of_t_family_medicine_report">ÖŘżÚζSM Family Medicine Report</a> shows a wider variety of ailments are being treated by family doctors than in the past. Anxiety, for instance, is one of the top reasons for visits to family doctors in every age group, and the top reason for adult females. Chronic diseases – the greatest health challenge facing Canada and much of the world – are also increasingly managed by family doctors.</p> <p>Using data from the de-identified electronic medical record data of nearly half-a-million patients, the report is the first evidence-based, comprehensive picture of the role of family doctors in our health-care system and provides new insights into the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Toronto and beyond.</p> <p>“This report reinforces the findings of international studies which show that having family medicine as the basis of a country’s health-care system keeps people healthier, reduces costs and ensures more equitable access to care,” says Dr. <strong>Michael Kidd</strong>, chair of U of T’s department of family and community medicine and one of the authors of the report.</p> <p>“As we start to roll out Ontario Health Teams, this report provides timely evidence and insights into the central role of family doctors, and the members of our teams, in our health-care system.”</p> <p>Beyond the treatment of common illnesses, many family doctors in Ontario deliver babies, work in emergency departments, provide palliative and end of life care, participate in research and innovation and much more. The diversity of patients and ailments seen by family doctors is quickly changing as well.</p> <p>“The data in this report confirmed a number of trends we are seeing in health care,” says Dr. <strong>Karen Tu</strong>, lead author of the report, a co-director of the ÖŘżÚζSM Practice-based Research Network and a professor in the department of family and community medicine with a cross appointment at the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation.</p> <p>“Mental health and chronic diseases are being treated by family doctors far more frequently. We are also continuing to see high rates of smoking and obesity, so it’s key to find new ways to help family doctors treat and support patients with these concerns.”</p> <p>The report also highlights areas of care where family doctors can play an even larger role. For instance, only 63 per cent of Indigenous people living in Toronto have a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner, compared to 90 per cent of the general population. The report also tackles issues like the lack of access to palliative care by marginalized populations in the Greater Toronto Area, the health concerns of refugees and what family doctors are doing to address the ongoing opioid crisis.</p> <p>“Not everyone knows or appreciates the breadth of services family doctors provide and the value family medicine brings to our health-care system,” says Kidd.</p> <p>“Family medicine provides the solution to overcrowded emergency departments, the challenge of hallway medicine in our hospitals, and the inequities we see in access to quality health-care services.</p> <p>“This report highlights the importance of family medicine as the foundation of a successful health-care system and reinforces the need for further investment in primary care to ensure that quality health care is available to all Canadians.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 17 May 2019 16:25:49 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 156714 at How U of T doctors and students are helping Syrian refugees access health care /news/how-u-t-doctors-and-students-are-helping-syrian-refugees-access-health-care <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How U of T doctors and students are helping Syrian refugees access health care</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-02-05T05:46:43-05:00" title="Friday, February 5, 2016 - 05:46" class="datetime">Fri, 02/05/2016 - 05:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A new, Arabic-language whiteboard video from U of T's Dr. Mike Evans, star of YouTube, explains how to access health services in Canada (scroll down to watch the video)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/allison-mullin" hreflang="en">Allison Mullin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Allison Mullin</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/refugees" hreflang="en">Refugees</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medicine" hreflang="en">Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/city" hreflang="en">City</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">To find clinics nearest refugees: 416-323-6400 ext. 5905</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When family doctor <strong>Perle Feldman</strong> heard she would be seeing a recently arrived Syrian refugee with cancer, she knew she would have to act fast.</p> <p>The man had been undergoing treatment in Beirut, Lebanon after moving there from a refugee camps, but he desperately needed surgery.</p> <p>“By the time he had arrived in Canada he already had undergone two to three more cancer treatments than he should have – he was weak,” says Feldman, a professor in the department of family and community medicine (DFCM) at the ÖŘżÚζSM. &nbsp;</p> <p>“He was on the plane Thursday night and I saw him Friday afternoon – it was quick.”</p> <p>Feldman, a family physician at North York General Hospital, completed the initial physical exam and immediately called Princess Margaret Hospital. She was able to get to the right surgeon almost immediately. Within five days of arriving, the patient was finally able to start proper treatment.</p> <p>“I didn’t do anything for my Syrian refugee patient that I wouldn’t have done for a Canadian patient, but if he had been living in Canada he would have received proper and faster treatment from the beginning,” said Feldman.</p> <p>Though extreme, stories like this show the need for refugees to see a family physician for a general exam after arriving in Canada. While refugees are screened for infectious disease overseas, underlying medical conditions and chronic diseases may be missed.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Meb Rashid</strong>, a professor in DFCM and a family physician at Women’s College Hospital who is leading the primary care response to Syrian refugees in Toronto, came up with a solution. By coordinating with various family medicine health teams across the GTA, Rashid and his colleagues have developed rotating intake clinics where refugees can be seen by family physicians for an initial assessment.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We knew much of the health concerns we were going to see in this population were typical garden variety primary care – diabetes, obesity, women’s health issues, and the like – so it was essential to get as many primary care workers on board as possible,” says Rashid (pictured below). “The response to our requests was really incredible – many family doctors and health-care professionals have donated time and expertise to these clinics.”</p> <p><img alt="photo of Dr. Meb Rashid in clinic" src="/sites/default/files/2016-02-05-meb-rashid-embed.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 427px; margin: 10px 20px;"></p> <p>Rashid and his network have also connected with other health professionals, including paediatricians, psychiatrists, dentists and others, to ensure smooth referrals for further treatment.&nbsp;</p> <p>“As with any newcomer population, it’s best for everyone to ensure that they’re seen as quickly as possible to ensure there’s no health threats the general public, however unlikely, and then determine whether they need to be referred elsewhere,” says Rashid.</p> <h1><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/first-hospital-based-refugee-clinic-toronto-leads-efforts-welcome-newcomers">Read more about Dr. Rashid&nbsp;and Crossroads Clinic</a></h1> <p><strong>Ashna Bowry</strong>, professor at DFCM and a family physician at St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team, is leading the research on the health of Syrian refugees.</p> <p>“Right now the research is being broken up into smaller areas of interest, such as their demographics and prevalence of diseases such as heart disease or women’s health issues that will be led by family medicine residents” says Bowry. “It’s not only a great opportunity for our residents to do meaningful research, but reinforces the importance primary care in general.”</p> <p>Initially, it was taking longer than hoped for newly arrived refugees to connect with the network of clinic. Family medicine residents, led by Dr. <strong>Ben Langer</strong> and colleagues, began to do targeted outreach to private sponsor groups, both online and by attending meetings and fairs, to raise awareness of the clinics. The effort has resulted in a much higher number of visitations: around 200-250 refugees have visited for examinations over the last ten days.</p> <p>“Residents and students are also visiting hotels where many government-refugees are staying until more permanent housing can be found,” says Rashid. “There was a bottleneck at many of these hotels – they’re dealing with many other logistics – but we’re beginning to see that dissipate as we help facilitate their care.”</p> <p>Bowry says healthcare often just isn’t a major priority for refugees after arriving.&nbsp;</p> <p>“They’re just finding their feet here,” explains Bowry. “It’s cold, it’s snowing, they need to find jobs and housing, get their kids to school, so their health might not be their highest priority. But we need to get the message out that it should be – just because they may not have an obvious health condition doesn’t mean there isn’t one there and the quicker we see them, the better for everyone.” &nbsp;</p> <p>Bowry and DFCM faculty member and YouTube star <strong>Mike Evans</strong> have also collaborated on an innovative way to communicate to refugees at their initial visit to the clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital: a whiteboard video to show refugee patients that welcomes them and explains what they will undergo while at the clinic.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We are your first point of contact with the health-care system, and we’re here to help work with you in navigating this system to get the care that you need,” says the video in Arabic before going on to explain that they will undergo a physical exam and will be referred to specialists if necessary.&nbsp;</p> <p>A centralized hotline has been established so refugees can find clinics near them: 416-323-6400 ext. 5905.</p> <p>See the video below:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GjIrEyKy76A?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2016-02-05-syrian-refugee-healthcare-3.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:46:43 +0000 sgupta 7634 at Canada needs a universal drug plan – and it won't require tax increases, study finds /news/canada-needs-universal-drug-plan-and-it-wont-require-tax-increases-study-finds <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Canada needs a universal drug plan – and it won't require tax increases, study finds</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-03-17T07:14:24-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - 07:14" class="datetime">Tue, 03/17/2015 - 07:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Employers and unions that offer employee drug benefit plans could save $8.2 billion under a universal public drug plan, researchers say (photo by Joseph via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/allison-mullin" hreflang="en">Allison Mullin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Allison Mullin</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medicine" hreflang="en">Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/drugs" hreflang="en">Drugs</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Plan would reduce total spending on prescription drugs by $7.3 billion per year</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> Contrary to common public perception, Canadian taxpayers could save billions by the introduction of a universal public drug plan to provide prescriptions to all Canadians, researchers say.</p> <p> “In many of the scenarios that we modelled, universal pharmacare was cost neutral for governments. This goes against current thinking that a universal program will cost more,” said Dr. <strong>Danielle Martin</strong>, one of the authors of the study,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/site/press/cmaj.141564.pdf">published in CMAJ</a> (Canadian Medical Association Journal).</p> <p> Canada is the only developed country with universal health insurance that does not also offer universal prescription drug coverage said&nbsp;Martin (pictured below),&nbsp;an assistant professor in the ÖŘżÚζSM's department of family and community medicine and vice-president of medical affairs and health systems solutions at Women's College Hospital.</p> <p> <img alt="photo of Danielle Martin" src="/sites/default/files/2015-03-17-dr-danielle-martin.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 313px; margin: 10px; float: left;">The study modelled costs based on data describing $22 billion worth of retail prescription drug purchases in the fiscal year 2012-13. Researchers&nbsp;created three scenarios for a universal public drug plan: a base scenario (expected outcome), as well as the best- and worst-case scenarios.</p> <p> They found that most prescriptions are already paid for by taxpayers, with $9.7 billion spent directly on public drug plans and $2.4 billion spent on private drug plans for public sector employees. Private sector spending on private insurance plans currently accounts for $5.7 billion, and uninsured patients pay $4.5 billion out-of-pocket for prescriptions they fill.</p> <p> If Canada could achieve the pricing found in several comparable countries as well as the rates of generic drug use seen in some provincial drug plans, a universal public drug plan would reduce total spending on prescription drugs in Canada by $7.3 billion per year, or 32 per cent, the authors said. As well, employers and unions that offer employee drug benefit plans could save $8.2 billion under a universal public drug plan.</p> <p> These cost savings are attributed to decreased costs for generic drugs&nbsp;and brand-name drugs because of economies of scale in price negotiations and better product selection, taking into account a small increase in costs from increased use by people who were uninsured.</p> <p> These savings, the authors said, would be beneficial in a multitude of ways. For instance, Canada spends much more on medications than other countries with universal health insurance, but it attracts only small investments in drug research. To attract investment, the authors argue Canada should increase public investment in health sciences, possibly by using a portion of the savings generated through a single-payer system for universal public coverage of prescription drugs.&nbsp;</p> <p> “Better access to medically necessary prescription drugs and improved quality of care go hand in hand with these significant cost savings,” said Martin.</p> <p> Overall, the authors conclude that universal public coverage of prescription drugs will allow for increased equality in accessing prescription drugs while achieving a significant cost savings for taxpayers.</p> <p> (<a href="https://soundcloud.com/cmajpodcasts/drug-coverage/s-mXkcb">Listen to an interview with Dr. Danielle Martin</a>.)</p> <p> (<a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/03/16/national-pharmacare-program-could-save-73-billion-study.html">Read coverage of this story in the Toronto Star</a>.)</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-03-17-precription-drug.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:14:24 +0000 sgupta 6880 at