Ottawa Citizen journalist Dan Gardner castigates, and rightly so, how Olympic athletes sell out to corporations for oodles of cash without any consideration for the potential harm to public health outcomes. His column can be read here.

I am not a fan of how newspapers use headlines to misrepresent stories to provke unwarranted fear, and heightened risk perception. Today, the Ottawa Citizen published two stories about seasonal and H1N1 vaccine. The first story, For Guillain-Barre survivors, flu shot stirs up unwelcome memories, emblazoned on the front page has all the elements of [...]

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen December 19, 2003 Original Title: Cycling the virtual highway WARNING: Before you read any further, I have to confess that I am a cycle nut. Forgive my indulgence in sharing my love of this world with you in one column.

We are in the midst of a large-scale data collection and evaluation process of West Nile virus infection and outbreak in North America. Although West Nile virus affects other areas of the world like Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Tunisia, Morocco and South Africa among others, it is difficult to extrapolate their experience to the North American arena. The North American West Nile virus is genetically distinct and seemingly more virulent than strains from other parts of the world.

Dr. Tony Hsu, a Welland pediatrician in practice for 30 years died last week, his body recovered from Lake Ontario. Humiliated and abused by the Medical Review Committee (MRC), his plight, profiled by CTV’s Avis Favro last November, showed us a caring and dedicated physician destroyed by the committee. Dr. Hsu worked on-call one every two nights, provided free service to the Children’s Aid Society and was respected and admired by his patients and colleagues alike.

A recent front-page story in the Citizen remarked how a Health Canada anti-tobacco campaign using Olympic skaters Elvis Stojko and Josée Chouinard did not have much influence on reducing or quitting cigarette use. Indeed, how effective are health promotion campaigns?

A recent Dave Brown column touched upon the thorny issue of patient chart transfer requests. He cited the case of one individual who expressed his irritation with transfer fees that he felt should be free of charge. Copyright law analogy provides the basis for his assertion. His claim is that patient chart notes are paid by the patient through taxation and as such did not belong to the physician. The physician writing the notes does so for the patient who subsequently owns the record.

Recent and projected health technology and treatment advances pose interesting dilemmas regarding the human lifespan. Nanotechnology, stem cell research, gene therapy, new drug therapies, cancer vaccines and electromechanical life support devices are just a few of the lines of research and development in our quest to cure disease and maintain our health. These are indeed exciting times.

Many patients express their disdain over medication dispensing fees. All Canadian pharmacies charge this fee. I too had some misgivings about the fees but did not have the necessary background to draw any firm conclusions. Further enquiry to determine their origin and their original purpose was needed. Do people get value for their money? Why do dispensing fees vary? A spokesman for the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association (OPA) addressed these issues in an interview several weeks ago.

Parents are forever vigilant protecting their young children from some of life’s harsher realities. It is indeed frustrating and indeed infuriating when parents encounter unexpected situations that expose their children to potentially deleterious actions and images. Their child-rearing timetable explodes. They have to now enter damage-control mode.

Sunday will mark the fifth anniversary of the death of my brother, Dr. Steven Dworkin, age 32. His senseless death continues to haunt me and I suppose will forever do so.

Some days or weeks, for good or bad, become more memorable than others. They serve up a combination of events that can turn your day into a rollercoaster of emotions.

Such a day occurred in early March. There were 20 patients that day, some with straight-forward problems, others alone in the wilderness.

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen March 12, 2002 Federal Health Minister Anne McLellan mused recently about the obesity epidemic as if this was some new revelation.

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen January 15, 2002 Column draws fire from some readers and support from others Last week’s column on breastfeeding difficulties provoked passionate responses. I was accused of being uneducated, unethical, unprofessional and a menace to medical students and residents because allegedly I promoted formula over breastmilk. Others whole-heartedly agreed with [...]

In Ontario there are two drug programs designed to reduce the burden of medication costs: The Ontario Drug Benefit Program (ODB) and the Trillium Drug Program (TDP). The ODB covers the cost of medications for seniors, welfare recipients and the disabled. The TDP, a co-payment plan varies with an individual’s or family’s income.

Our child protection laws are designed to protect the defenseless. Those that are responsible for enforcing these laws have a difficult job to do. This is made even moreso by a flawed complaints process.

Attending a conference entitled The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, a number of physicians noted that the placebo effect was a very powerful force and motivator with respect to the success of alternative medicine practices such as therapeutic touch, chiropractic, herbal remedies and the like.

Some women can sail through pregnancy with nary a problem while others can have a difficult time. The basis for treating these conditions rests entirely upon individual circumstances. If these problems interfere with ones ability to function consult with your doctor. Ask about the available treatment options. It is important to have options and to be comfortable with the decision one makes when opting for a particular treatment.

In June of 2000 my Dad was hospitalized for some surgery. He related the following story to me that made me stop and think about how we treat our patients and where, perhaps, some of our interpersonal skills come from.

You are in a line for a movie and you pass gas or do some other embarrassing activity. Your first reaction usually is “Oh my god, they all know I did it!” This is a remnant of your teen years. Teens are naturally self- centered and experience that reaction you had about ten times more intensely sometimes on a daily basis. Despite the teen horror stories, most adolescents cope well with their development process.

Mr. H., a World War II veteran was posted 24 times in 27 years while serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. He is proud of his accomplishments and his actions demonstrate quiet dignity and honor. He has told me stories of his military life. Stories about sacrifice, dedication, honor and integrity that children, not to mention some adults should hear. Now, at age 78 I have told him he has inoperable kidney cancer because it has spread to his lungs. He would not survive the operation.

Nothing is too wonderful to be true. Michael Faraday (1791 – 1867) Insight, untested and unsupported, is an insufficient guarantee of truth. Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic (1929) Everyday we are bombarded with health claims and gadgets to “improve” our already healthy lifestyles. Statistics and facts are used to convince us to buy into the [...]

One Halloween several years ago, my brother Steven shaved his head, coloured himself green, put two devil horns on his head and taught his class clad in only a pair of green shorts. I’m sure they still talk about it at the University of Chicago. I keep a picture of that Halloween stunt. And I look at it often.