Search

Background: ways of perceiving evidence by public health managers, practitioners and policymakers is one of the key determinants of evidence uptake. Recent public health policy in Ontario requires programmes to be based on evidence. Therefore, understanding views about evidence in both practice and policy contexts is important to bridge the research-policy-practice gap in public health. Objective and methods: this qualitative descriptive study examined understandings about evidence in Ontario public health units by comparing perspectives from managers and frontline staff across six geographically-diverse units. A secondary qualitative content analysis was used to re-analyse transcripts of focus groups from the Renewal of Public Health Systems (RePHS) research project. Results: similarities and differences were revealed with respect to how public health managers and frontline staff view evidence. Although both managers and frontline staff understand that multiple forms of evidence exist and that these forms must be integrated when making decisions regarding programme development and implementation, frontline staff highlighted the role of practice-based evidence. Both groups named tools and processes that were available to assist their decision making. Frontline staff indicated capacity building as important for supporting evidence use. Both groups noted that leadership could present a challenge to evidence-based programmes if not supportive of the evidence-based solution for public health problems. However, the understanding of leadership differed between frontline staff and managers. Conclusion: findings from this study provide insight into how use of evidence can be promoted and how to better support policy implementation efforts within practice contexts.

(1) Background: Microsporidiosis (nosemosis) is an intestinal disorder of adult honey bees caused by the microsporidian pathogens Vairimorpha apis and Vairimorpha ceranae. In Canada, fumagillin is an approved antibiotic used to treat this disease. However, the recommended dosage is based on efficacy studies for V. apis, the native pathogen in European honey bees. Since the detection of V. ceranae in Apis mellifera, V. ceranae became more prevalent in managed European honey bees and seems to have replaced V. apis due to yet unknown reasons. (2) Methods: This colony study investigated the efficacy of fumagillin administered in the fall to colonies infected with both V. apis and V. ceranae and its effects on the Vairimorpha species' prevalence overwinter. Spore loads in control and fumagillin-treated colonies were analysed by microscopy; Vairimorpha species prevalence was determined molecularly and infection and treatment effects on colony productivity were assessed. (3) Results: Fall fumagillin treatment was associated with a temporary reduction in spore load, but there was no difference in spore loads between treated and control colonies the following spring. Interestingly, fumagillin-treated colonies had a significantly greater prevalence of V. ceranae relative to V. apis the following spring, suggesting fumagillin is less effective in controlling V. ceranae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent gambling is a major social problem in North America. Over the years this problem has given rise to a number of theoretical explanations. This paper argues that the existing explanations of youth gambling underestimate the influence of broader structural forces conducive to youth gambling problem and, instead, provide micro analyses that often blames individuals for their gambling problems. As such, these theories produce incomplete pictures of a persistent, cohesive and growing problem. Canadian youth's gambling problem is said to be better understood within the nexus of: (1) the Canadian state's pro-gambling policies due to the need for revenues, (2) the discrepancy between widely shared Canadian cultural values-wealth, power, and success-and legitimate means of achieving them, and (3) the capitalist processes of profit making and commodification.

Recruiting participants for a research project can be challenging. Incentives, particularly monetary incentives, have been shown to increase response rates. Offering a monetary incentive for participation in a research study can become very costly for the investigators. For this reason some researchers, including graduate students involved in under-funded projects, have resorted to lottery compensation to attract participants. From an ethical standpoint, all participants in a research study should be treated equally and fairly. Compensation lotteries, however, undermine equal treatment of all participants (notion of justice) because they prevent equal distribution of rewards. In this pilot study, we were interested in exploring and understanding the prevalence and determinants of the use of lottery compensation method by graduate students from Canadian universities as a way of compensating participants in their research studies. A sample of 50 students from five major Canadian universities participated. Three methods of compensation were identified in this study: cash reimbursement, grade mark and lottery draw for a prize. Results show that the availability of funding is the main determinant of the use of lottery compensation: students with sufficient funds were more likely to use cash incentives, while those without adequate funds were more likely to use lottery draws. Ethical implications are further discussed.

Background and objective: There has been growing emphasis on increasing impacts of academic health research by integrating research findings in healthcare. The concept of knowledge translation (KT) has been widely adopted in Canada to guide this work, although lack of recognition in tenure and promotion (T&P) structures have been identified as barrier to researchers undertaking KT. Our objective was to explore how KT is considered in institutional T&P documentation in Canadian academic health sciences. Methods: We conducted content analysis of T&P documents acquired from 19 purposively sampled research-intensive or largest regional Canadian institutions in 2020–2021. We coded text for four components of KT (synthesis, dissemination, exchange, application). We identified clusters of related groups of documents interpreted together within the same institution. We summarized manifest KT content with descriptive statistics and identified latent categories related to how KT is considered in T&P documentation. Results: We acquired 89 unique documents from 17 institutions that formed 48 document clusters. Most of the 1057 text segments were categorized as dissemination (n = 851, 81%), which was included in 47 document clusters (98%). 15 document clusters (31%) included all four KT categories, while one (2%) did not have any KT categories identified. We identified two latent categories: primarily implicit recognition of KT; and an overall lack of clarity on KT. Conclusions: Our analysis of T&P documents from primarily research-intensive Canadian universities showed a lack of formal recognition for a comprehensive approach to KT and emphasis on traditional dissemination. We recommend that institutions explicitly and comprehensively consider KT in T&P and align documentation and procedures to reflect these values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Veterinary Journal / Revue Vétérinaire Canadienne is the property of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In multiracial societies, the diversity of names in the workforce may reflect racial inclusivity. There is scant data on racial representation among Canadian physicians, prompting our analysis of naming diversity. We profiled the race and gender demographics of the names of physicians in Canadian academic radiology departments. Further, we devised a structured classification methodology using a commercial artificial intelligence and naming database to classify 1,727 names according to national origin and gender. The names were retrieved from faculty websites. A Z-test of proportions was used to compare radiologists’ name demographics to demographics from the 2016 Canadian census. In close agreement with much of the literature on gender demographics, 31.99% of names were classified as female. Names that were classified as belonging to Indigenous, Black, Latin American, and Filipino name-bearers were underrepresented. Names classified as belonging to the following groups were overrepresented: South Asian, Chinese, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, and Korean. Names associated with White subjects in the corpus were proportionally represented for full names and overrepresented for given names. Faculty with full names classified as Southeast Asian, Korean, and Chinese often had given names that fell into the White category. The structured methodology showed high inter-rater reliability for race classifications. The racial disparities we observed mirrored those found in surveys of medical students, suggesting that the bottleneck occurs at the level of medical school admissions. Thus, onomastics can provide valuable data to diversity initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, emergency departments (EDs) across the world braced for surges in volume and demand. However, many EDs experienced decreased demand even for higher acuity illnesses. In this study we sought to examine the change in utilization at a large Canadian community ED, including changes in patient demographics and presentations, as well as structural and administrative changes made in response to the pandemic. Methods: This retrospective observational study took place in Ontario, Canada, from March 17-- June 30, 2020, during province-wide lockdowns in response to COVID-19. We used a control period of March 17--June 30 in 2018--2019. Differences between observed and expected values were calculated for total visits, Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) groups, and age groups using Fisher's exact test. Length of stay (LOS), physician initial assessment time (PIA), and top primary and admission diagnoses were also examined. Results: Patient visits fell to 66.3% of expected volume in the exposure period (20,901 vs 31,525, P<0.0001). CTAS-1 (highest acuity) patient volumes dropped to 86.8% of expected (P = 0.1964) while CTAS-5 (lowest acuity) patient volumes dropped to 32.4% of expected (P <0.0001). Youth (0-17), adult (18-64), and senior (65+) visits all decreased to 37.4%, 71.7%, and 72.9% of expected volumes, respectively (P <0.0001). Median PIA and median ED LOS both decreased (1.1 to 0.6 hours and 3.3 to 3.0 hours, respectively). The most common primary diagnosis in both periods was "other chest pain." Viral syndromes were more prevalent in the exposure period. The top admission diagnoses were congestive heart failure in the control period (4.8%) and COVID-19 in the study period (3.5%). Conclusion: ED utilization changed drastically during COVID-19. Our ED responded with wide stakeholder engagement, spatial reorganization, and human resources changes informed by real-time data. Our experiences can help prepare for potential subsequent "waves" of COVID-19 and future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying planning strategies for the transition to a green economy is a formidable challenge. We proposed a novel multiple-criteria decision analysis model which can quantitatively identify the socio-economic and environmental impacts of various government and public policies. We applied the model to four practical scenarios in Canada for determining the optimal final demand that maximizes the country's GDP and employment while minimizing GHG emissions for small, short-term changes. As a result, the model suggested potential ways to simultaneously achieve a GDP growth of 2.5 billion CAD and creation of over 25,000 new jobs, and a saving of 2514 kt CO2. As per the final demand, the electrification of domestic heating and transport should be more promoted. The proposed analysis tool will provide decision-makers with the ability to explore the design and effects of policy reforms, regulatory changes, and targeted public expenditure strategies, thereby overcoming barriers towards a green economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil justice reforms in both England and Canada have consistently advocated the need for a litigation ‘culture shift’ away from the traditional adversarial trial process in resolving disputes to settlement through ADR. In seeking to implement this cultural shift, both countries have adopted distinctly diverging approaches to the issue of mandatory ADR. This paper critically analyses the current rules of civil process and associated judicial attitudes toward compulsory ADR in England and in Canada. It argues that the Canadian approach of legislating compulsory ADR provides greater consistency and predictability when it comes to ensuring that litigants undertake ADR efforts. In contrast, the English approach, which formally rejects but impliedly accepts and implements mandatory ADR, creates uncertainty for those who engage with the civil justice process. Drawing on the Canadian practice, this paper proposes ways in which the English court rules may be reformed to better integrate mandatory ADR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the medical policy and funding announcements by the Conservative government of Canada regarding abortion. He mentions that the government will no longer compensate for the cost of legal abortion in developing countries. He refers to the editorial published in the journal "The Lancet" which emphasized the hypocrisy of the government in enacting this policy.

The article discuses the condition of mental health and addiction services in the U.S. and Canada. It notes that there is a shortage of front line family doctors that are the first point of contact for one who wants to use these facilities. It adds that these condition has been seriously neglected especially with the mass hysteria by near pandemic period of swine influenza and its constant media coverage. It mentions that it is sad to know that budget for mental health and addiction services are being diverted to defense expenditures. It states that many are suggesting privatization as possible answer to the lack of health care accessibility but are established to be ineffective and disadvantageous to marginalized groups.

The author reflects on the budget cuts in research and development in Canada. It notes that the reduction of budgets for research will undermine the body of knowledge being produced in the country. He notes the important role of academic journalism to ensure a vibrant future for research. Several suggestion in orders to find effective solutions that will offer meaningful impact to those who have mental health and addiction problems are also provided.

Notes that Canada has proposed a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by 2010. Proposal in line with that of United States; Shift to being environmentally cautious by Canada; Canada's past support for environmentalist causes.