Playing on fears, bribing and threatening to produce compliance is unconscionable
I am sorry to be so frank to a man whom I admired and from whom I expected good things. I confess that in younger days, I thought of Albertans mainly as people who cornered too slowly on mountain roads. But I learned, partly from you, that I must think much more of them than…
Daily positive messages are designed to help emergency personnel cope with trauma of the job, similar to successful Text4Hope
Two free text messaging services have been launched to support the mental health of Alberta’s first responders. Text4PTSI and Text4Well-being are designed to help emergency personnel cope positively with feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, disturbed sleep and suicidal thoughts, said project lead Vincent Agyapong, clinical professor of psychiatry and global mental health in the University of Alberta Faculty…
The province is now the North American hotspot for a rare, potentially fatal disease
A rare parasitic infection imported from Europe continues to take root in Alberta. The province is now the North American hotspot for human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), which takes the form of a growth in the liver, causing serious and potentially deadly health complications. A recently published review of known AE cases in Alberta found 17 instances…
Results from clinical trial expected to significantly change how clinicians monitor for atrial fibrillation in stroke patients
A clinical trial examining the efficacy of two devices to monitor and detect atrial fibrillation (AF), or an irregular heartbeat, in ischemic stroke patients – one an implantable device that monitors over 12 months, the other an external device that monitors over 30 days – found the implantable device is more than three times more…
Three University of Alberta projects have received funding from Alberta Innovates to accelerate health innovation in the province. PRECISE, ADEPT and the University of Alberta Health Hub & Accelerator have been awarded support through the Health Innovation Platform Partnerships (HIPP) program. The program seeks to enable a health innovation ecosystem that is robust, co-ordinated and offers a competitive…
A rare lung disease that is linked to bats has made Alberta home, according to new research led by scientists at Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) and the University of Alberta. The team of infectious disease experts confirmed that histoplasmosis – a fungal infection transmitted through bat and bird droppings – is now found in Alberta. Their…
Up until now, Canada has been highly dependent on foreign suppliers
University of Alberta spinoff company Applied Quantum Materials Inc. (AQM) is using its chemical production expertise to partner with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Alberta Precision Labs to provide critical reagents needed for COVID-19 testing. “These reagents – or ‘magnetic beads’ – used in standard nucleic acid testing are the gold standard for molecular tests,” said Stacey Hume, associate professor in…
Platform allows specialists to offer physiotherapy expertise for patients in smaller communities
The human touch of a high-tech University of Alberta project is starting to be felt by rural Alberta physiotherapy patients on the road to recovery. The specialized assessments made possible through a telehealth project that began last summer are moving patients in small communities to tears of relief as they get the help they need.…
U of A spinoff company launches MedROAD virtual clinic in Alberta, making long-distance health care a reality during COVID-19
A new pilot project called MedROAD is bringing the power of precision health to Pincher Creek, Alta. – and seeing promising results. MedROAD promises to be the future of telehealth, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and cloud-based computing to remotely connect patients with health-care professionals, no matter where they are. Developed at the University of Alberta by computing scientist Pierre…
Athletic facility could provide space for at least 100 beds during COVID-19 pandemic if needed
The University of Alberta’s Butterdome has once again been seconded into Alberta’s fight against COVID-19. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, recently announced that Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working with the Red Cross to transform the venerable U of A track and field facility into an alternate care centre should the need…