Bringing about a higher level of transparency and accountability in provincial and federal governments to help protect taxpayers from abuse
Provincial health-care systems are struggling to place Canadians in the appropriate continuing-care settings they need, potentially adding to wait times and barriers to care, according to a new report.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report found one in five seniors who have lower-priority needs could have delayed or even avoided admission to residential care and instead received care in their own home or in home-like settings.
Read more at theglobeandmail.com
(KMSP) – The Minnesota Attorney General’s office charged seven women with nine counts of theft and racketeering after they allegedly stole about $7.5 million in Medicaid funding.
According to court documents, the alleged ringleader, Lillian Richardson, enlisted family and friends to set up home health care businesses in Minnesota, and collect money for services never rendered.
Read more at fox9.com
The Ontario Medical Association has announced that it wants to appeal a court ruling that would make the names of the province’s top-billing doctors public.
In an email sent to 29,000 members Thursday, the organization said it wants to ask the Ontario Court of Appeal to overturn a lower court ruling that would allow public disclosure of the names.
The OMA continues to maintain that physicians’ identities should be exempt from disclosure under the personal privacy provisions of Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Read more at thestar.com
Scientists in the United Kingdom are preparing to conduct the world’s first clinical trial looking into the potential therapeutic effects that MDMA, the active ingredient in Ecstasy, could have on people grappling with alcohol addiction.
Researchers at Imperial College London have announced that they were granted ethical approval to conduct a small MDMA trial on people with alcohol addiction in the city of Bristol, The Guardian reported last week. For the trial, 20 patients — all of whom are heavy drinkers whose previous treatments for alcoholism have failed — will undergo psychotherapy sessions while under the influence of 99.99 percent pure MDMA.
Read more at huffingtonpost.ca
Ontario’s Divisional Court has ordered an end to the secrecy surrounding the province’s highest-billing doctors.
A three-judge panel dismissed an application to quash an order from Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to make the names of the highest-paid physicians public, ruling that the order was a reasonable one.
The court accepted that the names of the doctors, in conjunction with the amounts they receive in OHIP payments and their medical specialties, are not “personal information.” They are, therefore, not exempt from disclosure under the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Read more at thestar.com
Angela Bugera, the owner of an art gallery in Edmonton, Alberta, was experiencing hip deterioration that was interfering with her daily tasks and forcing her to walk with a cane.
She was put on a waiting list for a hip replacement at the Hip and Knee Clinic, which manages a centralized surgery triage process for Alberta. But her doctor advised her to explore private treatment options she might be able to access more quickly, because her pain was so severe and her mobility was becoming impeded.
After a worldwide search for a suitable clinic, taking into account the additional costs of flights and weighing up a range of options, she decided to seek treatment at Health City Cayman Islands in 2015.
Read more at huffingtonpost.com
Health Canada on Tuesday opened up a consultation on changes to the country’s Food and Drug Regulations and Medical Devices Regulations that would make it mandatory for certain health care institutions to report serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and medical device incidents (MDIs).
“Reports about serious ADRs and MDIs can be important signals of emerging safety issues. Such post-market observations can also lead to improved safety information about a product,” the regulator said.
Read more at raps.org
Police say a Toronto doctor has been charged after an alleged sexual assault on a patient.
They say the complainant alleges she was sexually assaulted by the doctor during treatment.
Investigators say Dr. Stephen Strigler, 57, was arrested on Monday and charged with sexual assault.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators.
Strigler is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4.
read more at thestar.com
New Brunswick has made public how much it pays to each of its doctors.
The province released the names of physicians along with the amounts each received in payments for providing medically insured services last year.
In doing so, it has joined a growing list of jurisdictions that is turning to public disclosure of such data.
read more at thestar.com
A staggering number of people with mental health conditions are prescribed opioids, according to a new study.
Researchers from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the University of Michigan found that 51 percent of painkiller prescriptions are distributed to those who have also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety.