Three U of A medical students may have different backgrounds and interests, but they share a passion for reducing inequities in health – and in the health system
The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry this fall welcomed three students trained in women’s and gender studies (WGS), which they say has given them a unique perspective on their chosen profession. All three say gender studies have made them acutely aware of the social determinants of health – especially for vulnerable populations…
Immediate improvements for nursing home workforce needed before next crisis hits, says U of A researcher
Canada needs to take immediate actions to ensure nursing homes are ready for a possible second wave of COVID-19, according to the chair of an expert working group charged with solving Canada’s long-term care collapse. “If we do nothing else, in the short and longer term, the workforce has to be addressed,” said Carole Estabrooks,…
University of Alberta-led team develops synthetic molecule that stops production of toxic muscle-killing protein
Researchers have designed a potential new treatment for one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Toshifumi Yokota, professor of medical genetics at the University of Alberta, led a team from Canada and the U.S. to create and test…
While we wait for science to put a stop to COVID-19, we can all do our part in the simplest of ways
Modern medicine has at its disposal a vast array of technologies that can be used to identify, track and predict the risk and potential impact of emerging infectious diseases. Bioassays, genome sequencing and molecular technology can identify a novel pathogen. Computer modelling (in real-time) can provide us with an instant status report showing how much…
Training robots to guide people through tasks could improve return-to-work evaluations and treatment: U of A researchers
Training robots to guide injured workers through simulated tasks could make return-to-work evaluations and treatment programs more effective and accessible, according to researchers at the University of Alberta. In a review of scientific literature on efforts to use robotics for occupational rehabilitation, the researchers reported that robots with machine learning capabilities have the potential to…
Client interfaces in law and medicine are as moribund as they were a century ago. It’s time to use technology to better advantage
In the time of the 1918-19 Spanish flu, the world was very different. Of course, there was no Internet, TV or social media. In fact, there wasn’t even any radio until a few years later. All the news was provided by the newspaper and almost all long-distance transportation was by rail or ship. We’ve come…
For too long, Canada has failed to embrace many foreign-trained physicians. COVID-19 has exposed serious flaws in the system
A corner has been turned in the COVID-19 pandemic, even if serious questions linger. Although we still don’t know how long the pandemic will last, we’re beginning to see more ideas on what the world will look like once we’ve put this behind us. When that will be or how we will get there is…
Canada’s hopelessly dysfunctional and dangerous government-monopoly health-care system one of the least prepared in the world to deal with the crisis
The Liberal government’s plan to use Canada’s “fiscal firepower” to help Canadian families and businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic has been appropriately termed “a measured well-targeted response” by the Fraser Institute. But no amount of cash can change the terrible reality that Canada’s health-care system is one of the least prepared to deal with the…
Thousands of patients are on wait lists. Meanwhile, the human and economic costs of mental illness keep rising
For the past decade, Bell Canada has used the month of January to support awareness of mental health issues. Its extensive media campaigns have encouraged Canadians to talk openly about mental health and break the uncomfortable stigma that still tends to hover over such conversations. There’s plenty of data to document the prevalence of Canada’s…
Want to strike fear into the heart of any Canadian? Just mention wait times. We’re all really proud of our universal, single-payer medicare system, especially when we compare it to the situation in the United States. However, it’s not quite perfect. A major imperfection is the length of time between becoming aware of a need…
The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry this fall welcomed three students trained in women’s and gender studies (WGS), which they say has given them a unique perspective on their chosen profession. All three say gender studies have made them acutely aware of the social determinants of health – especially for vulnerable populations…
