Afternoon Edition – Wednesday House Call June 3, 2015

Afternoon Edition – Wednesday House Call   June 3, 2015

Dr Barry Dworkin joins Rob Snow to discuss the latest health stories of the week.

Today:

1) The Cost of Injury in Canada Report. According to this research, preventable injuries cost the health care system more than heart disease. A summary news story is here:http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/preventable-injuries-cost-canada-billions-report-says-1.2404118. The entire report is here: http://www.parachutecanada.org/costofinjury.

highlights: 15,866 deaths
❖ 231,596 Canadians hospitalized
❖ Nearly 3.5 million emergency room visits
❖ More than 60,000 Canadians either partially or permanently disabled
❖ $15.9 billion in direct health care costs
❖ $26.8 billion in total economic costs
Every hour, 427 people in our country suffer a preventable injury as a result of a
fall, a motor vehicle crash, a fire, poisoning, drowning, or other activities.

2) Birth Control Pills.  PARIS – The broadest study of its kind on Wednesday backed estimates that newer kinds of contraceptive pills carry a higher risk of dangerous blood clots. But it also confirmed past advice that the risk is very low in real terms and there was no immediate worry for women who take these pills. What is the standard for birth control pills for your practice?
http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/newer-birth-control-pills-carry-higher-risk-of-blood-clots-study-finds-1.2392971

3) Presenteeism worse than absenteeism? http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/presenteeism-worse-than-absenteeism-thousands-of-public-servants-have-mental-health-issues-expert-says

4) Choosing Wisely Canada. This group is pressing for limits on tests, treatments or procedures commonly used by doctors that are not supported by evidence and/or could expose patients to unnecessary harm.

http://www.choosingwiselycanada.org/
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/blog/could-spendthrift-doctors-bankrupt-health-care-1.3095491