Pan-Canadian licensure: Potential impact on the rural physician workforce.

ABSTRACT: Proposals to establish pan-Canadian licensure for physicians have broad support amongst medical groups to address physician shortages in underserved rural communities. The concept has also elicited concern from some stakeholders that its implementation could exacerbate rural physician workforce shortages by prompting an exodus of rural physicians to urban centres. An environmental scan of reports from key medical groups published within the past 10 years was conducted to determine factors influencing rural physician practice patterns. Data from membership surveys of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada and the Canadian Medical Association - conducted in fall 2022 - were reviewed to determine whether licensure is a factor in rural physicians' decisions to leave or stay in practice in rural Canada. Factors contributing to physicians' decisions to leave rural practice identified in the environmental scan included lack of infrastructure support, inability to find locum coverage, inadequate support for team-based care and effects of high workloads on wellness. A common theme found in responses to the membership surveys was the recognition of licensing restrictions as barriers preventing rural physicians from practising in multiple provinces or territories. Survey respondents also voiced strong support for national licensure implementation. Pan-Canadian licensure holds promise as a strategy to enhance the recruitment and retention of physicians in rural communities. It could also provide physicians flexibility to work in multiple jurisdictions to address the health workforce needs of underserved communities.Les propositions visant à établir un permis d'exercice pancanadien pour les médecins bénéficient d'un large soutien de la part des groupes médicaux afin de remédier aux pénuries de médecins dans les communautés rurales mal desservies. Ce concept a également suscité des inquiétudes de la part de certaines parties prenantes qui craignent que sa mise en oeuvre n'aggrave les pénuries de médecins en milieu rural en provoquant l'exode de ces derniers vers les centres urbains. Une analyse environnementale des rapports des principaux groupes médicaux publiés au cours des dix dernières années a été effectuée pour déterminer les facteurs influençant les modes de pratique des médecins ruraux. Les données des enquêtes sur les membres de la Société de la médecine rurale du Canada et de l'Association médicale canadienne-menées à l'automne 2022-ont été examinées pour déterminer si le permis d'exercice est un facteur dans la décision des médecins ruraux de quitter ou de rester en pratique dans les régions rurales du Canada. Les facteurs contribuant à la décision des médecins de quitter la pratique rurale, identifiés dans l'analyse de l'environnement, comprenaient le manque de soutien en matière d'infrastructure, l'incapacité à trouver une couverture de suppléance, le soutien inadéquat des soins en équipe et les effets des charges de travail élevées sur le bien-être. Un thème commun ressorti des réponses aux enquêtes menées auprès des membres est la reconnaissance des restrictions en matière de permis d'exercice en tant qu'obstacles empêchant les médecins ruraux d'exercer dans plusieurs provinces ou territoires. Les répondants à l'enquête ont également exprimé leur soutien à la mise en place d'un système national de permis d'exercice. Le permis d'exercice pancanadien est une stratégie prometteuse pour améliorer le recrutement et la fidélisation des médecins dans les communautés rurales. Il pourrait également permettre aux médecins de travailler dans plusieurs administrations afin de répondre aux besoins en personnel de santé des communautés mal desservies.

Peripherally acting µ-opioid receptor antagonists for treatment of opioid-induced constipation in children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a common and important problem in paediatric palliative care, critical care, and postoperative settings. Treatment for OIC is often ineffective and limited by enteral intake. A new class of drugs called peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) have been shown to be effective treatments of OIC in adults, including the agents methylnaltrexone and naloxegol. Data in children are limited to several small case reports, mostly in the palliative care setting. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of methylnaltrexone and naloxegol in hospitalized children, including those with critical illness. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of all children admitted to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton (Canada) who received either methylnaltrexone or naloxegol for OIC. The primary outcome was median time to first bowel movement (BM) after the first dose of PAMORA. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients were included in the study. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the median time to the first BM after the first dose of PAMORA was 15.5 hours. Seventeen (63%) patients had laxation within 24 hours of first dose. No significant adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: This study is the largest to date to evaluate efficacy and safety of PAMORAs in children. Future studies should be prospective and include larger numbers of patients with critical illness and postoperative OIC as indications for treatment.

Attitudes on Palliative Care for Adults with Developmental Disabilities.

Background: Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) are defined as physical/mental impairments before age 18. Not only are many IDD patients living into adulthood, but deinstitutionalization has also led to most living in community settings. Little is known about end-of-life needs in these adults, and existing literature does not examine attitudes of Canadian providers. Objective: Thematic and content analysis examined attitudes of Canadian Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) practitioners on caring for adults with IDD to identify components of care, which could be improved. Design: An anonymized survey was created (Surveymonkey.com) using open-ended and Likert-scale questions, with thematic/subthematic coding on NVivo11. Initial coding included a codebook, which was refined. Independent coding was compared with initial coding. Coded data were reanalyzed after demographic stratification, results discussed, and consensus reached. Settings/Subjects: All Canadian PPC centers responded through snowball sampling (25 of 36 [70%] practitioners). Measurements/Results: Major themes covered communication and decision making, lack of resources (including access to appropriate services), and knowledge/skill/experience gaps among adult palliative care and generalist practitioners. Gaps included complex medical conditions of IDD patients, trajectories, and related management. Knowledge ratings of adult palliative care and generalist practitioners by respondents were evenly distributed, but only pediatricians gave ratings of poor or worse. PPC practitioners are comfortable being consulted by adult palliative care and generalist colleagues. However, frequency of consults varied dramatically, from one to two times/month in British Columbia to never. Conclusions: PPC practitioners across Canada identified several major issues and barriers to optimal palliative care for adults with IDD.

Canadian national survey of family medicine residents on point-of-care ultrasound training.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training in family medicine residency programs and to obtain the opinions of current family medicine residents on the role of ultrasound in primary care. DESIGN: A 23-question online survey conducted using SurveyMonkey between March 15 and June 30, 2017. SETTING: Canada. PARTICIPANTS: All family medicine residents of the 17 Canadian family medicine residency programs were included in the study but all enhanced skills residents were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The quality and relevance of POCUS to primary care as perceived by residents and reported in the survey. RESULTS: A total of 854 Canadian family medicine residents responded, for a national response rate of 32.3%. Most respondents (94.3%) believe that POCUS training should be included in family medicine residency programs; however, only 18.4% of respondents currently receive formal training within their residency. Among those without POCUS training, 91.7% are interested in receiving formal training and 29.7% resorted to taking external POCUS courses. Most (77.5%) would consider using ultrasound in their future practice if they were competent in POCUS. The most useful applications for family medicine were considered to be the FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma) examination for free fluid and ascites (95.1%), procedural guidance (92.4%), and identifying an intrauterine pregnancy (88.6%). CONCLUSION: This is the largest survey identifying the perceived needs of family medicine residents for POCUS. Very few Canadian family medicine residents currently receive POCUS training. Consistent with our recent family medicine program director survey, there is overwhelming interest by family medicine residents to begin incorporating POCUS training into the family medicine curriculum.

Palliative care for patients with communication and cognitive difficulties.

OBJECTIVE: To help increase the confidence of both caregivers and clinicians in providing palliative care to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) using an easy-to-follow framework to improve and overcome barriers to effective palliative care in this population. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A literature review was conducted to explore recent best evidence to address these palliative care needs and to allow for a focused opportunity to consider the details of implementing clinical practice guidelines in the palliative care context. Evidence ranges from level I to level III. MAIN MESSAGE: Pain and psychological and emotional distress are important issues for individuals with IDD, as they can be difficult to assess and measure, and often present atypically, especially in those with limited communication skills. Further, little is known about end-of-life needs in the adult population with IDD, especially for those living in community residences. The conducted literature review of patient, caregiver, and clinician experiences exposed considerable barriers, including incorrect assumptions about patients' capacity to understand and discomfort of both caregivers and clinicians with open communication. This has resulted in exclusion of adults with IDD from their own care, which has proven harmful. Maximizing time in familiar surroundings and establishing trust and continuity are crucial. Sometimes trial and error with empiric use of comfort medications is necessary, but this can be mitigated with careful examination of distress patterns and judicious use of diagnostic testing. It is always best to integrate the palliative approach into the existing pattern of care. CONCLUSION: The validated tools and recommendations provided will assist with communication, symptom interpretation, treatment decisions, advanced care planning, addressing grief, and important considerations in end-of-life care.

Teaching family medicine residents about care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), a group with complex health problems and inequities in access to health care, look to family physicians for primary care. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: To enable residents to learn and demonstrate competencies that are unique to the care of adults with IDD with minimal extra time and resources required of the residency program. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: In their regular family medicine teaching practices, residents undertake planned encounters with adults with IDD involving comprehensive health assessments with physical examinations. Tools to implement the Canadian guidelines for primary care of adults with IDD are available to support the residents in their encounters. Background information in the form of self-learning and small group learning resources, field notes with rubrics to assess residents' development of competencies, and faculty development resources are also available. CONCLUSION: It is important to include such planned clinical experiences in family medicine residency curricula because people with IDD have special needs that are difficult to learn about in other settings. It is a benefit to residents to have patients and families actively contributing to teaching.

Canadian national survey of point-of-care ultrasound training in family medicine residency programs.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the current state of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training in Canadian family medicine residency programs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey to evaluate POCUS education in accredited Canadian family medicine residency programs; only 1 completed survey was accepted per residency program. SETTING: Seventeen accredited Canadian family medicine residency programs. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen directors of family medicine programs across Canada. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Opinions of program directors in family medicine education on the relevance of POCUS in family medicine, and the role of POCUS training in family medicine residency programs. RESULTS: The Web-based, anonymous survey, which was completed during the months of March and April 2016, achieved a response rate of 82% (14 out of 17 program directors). About one-fifth (21%) of program directors reported having an established ultrasound curriculum. Almost all directors (93%) believed that POCUS teaching should be integrated into family medicine residency curricula. Barriers to establishing training included the following: lack of adequate equipment (57%), lack of instructors (57%), lack of available time in the curriculum (57%), and lack of funding available to support training (71%). Seventy-one percent of respondents believed that POCUS could be used in outpatient family medicine clinics to alter clinical decision making. Some potential benefits associated with POCUS in primary care include more rapid diagnosis, improved patient outcomes, and potential to reduce health care costs. CONCLUSION: Although only a few Canadian family medicine residency program directors reported actually having an established ultrasound curriculum, most of them believed that POCUS training should be offered to family medicine residents and that its use could positively affect primary care. A growing number of family medicine residency programs are considering incorporating ultrasound training into their curricula, but resource availability remains a considerable barrier to implementation.

Managing complexity in care of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Natural fit for the family physician as an expert generalist.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the factors inherent in caring for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that lead to complexity and to provide perspectives and techniques mapped to the phases of the clinical encounter. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: The authors of the physical health section of the 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines on the primary care of adults with IDD consisted of family physicians, all of whom practise comprehensive family medicine with additional clinical experience in care of adults with IDD. These authors reviewed evidence on which their recommendations are based and these recommendations have undergone a rigorous peer review to ensure that they deserve special attention because they highlight what is different from what a family physician would consider to constitute "normal care" for the general population. MAIN MESSAGE: Additional factors across the phases of clinical encounters with patients with IDD include the need for the following: an initial assessment that identifies genetic or neurologic conditions to guide anticipatory care and isolates unique barriers to health promotion and chronic disease management; adaptations to history taking, particularly for patients who are unable to describe symptoms owing to cognitive and communication deficits; overcoming challenges to performing physical examinations and certain investigations; addressing uncertainty in the formulation of hypotheses to establish an appropriate diagnosis; and involvement of resources of the developmental services sector to provide a management plan as well as an adapted empathetic approach in order to integrate the patient's illness experience. CONCLUSION: Although each patient with IDD is unique, and care of patients with IDD requires knowledge of certain conditions, these considerations are readily identifiable, and family physicians as expert generalists are well equipped to provide excellent care to patients with IDD.

Health checks for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a family practice.

OBJECTIVE: To provide tips and tools for primary care practitioners carrying out health checks for adult patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and for implementing a systematic program of health checks in a group or team practice. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: The "Primary Care of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 2018 Canadian Consensus Guidelines" literature review and interdisciplinary input. Experience in implementing health checks in family practices was obtained through the primary care project of H-CARDD (Health Care Access Research and Developmental Disabilities). MAIN MESSAGE: Annual comprehensive health assessments ("health checks") are a recommendation of the 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines for primary care of adults with IDD because of evidence of benefit in this population. Although health checks might require more time to complete for people with IDD than is usual for encounters in primary care, family physicians are in an ideal position to provide this service because of the attributes of family medicine, which include both an orientation to proactive care and the ability to provide continuity of care. Tips and tools are provided for carrying out health checks for adult patients with IDD and for implementing a systematic program of health checks in a group or team practice. CONCLUSION: Health checks can help enhance a family physician's approach to providing care for adults with IDD.

Primary care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: 2018 Canadian consensus guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: To update the 2011 Canadian guidelines for primary care of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). METHODS: Family physicians and other health professionals experienced in the care of people with IDD reviewed and synthesized recent empirical, ecosystem, expert, and experiential knowledge. A system was developed to grade the strength of recommendations. RECOMMENDATIONS: Adults with IDD are a heterogeneous group of patients and have health conditions and factors affecting their health that can vary in kind, manifestation, severity, or complexity from those of others in the community. They require approaches to care and interventions that are adapted to their needs. These guidelines provide advice regarding standards of care. References to clinical tools and other practical resources are incorporated. The approaches to care that are outlined here can be applied to other groups of patients that have impairments in cognitive, communicative, or other adaptive functioning. CONCLUSION: As primary care providers, family physicians play a vital role in promoting the health and well-being of adults with IDD. These guidelines can aid their decision making with patients and caregivers.

Soins primaires aux adultes ayant des déficiences intellectuelles et développementales: Lignes directrices consensuelles canadiennes de 2018.

OBJECTIF: Mettre à jour les Lignes directrices consensuelles canadiennes 2011 en matière de soins primaires aux adultes ayant une déficience développementale. MÉTHODES: Des médecins de famille et d'autres professionnels de la santé expérimentés dans les soins aux personnes ayant des DID ont examiné et synthétisé les récentes connaissances empiriques, d'écosystèmes, expertes et expérientielles. Un système a été conçu pour catégoriser la qualité des recommandations. RECOMMANDATIONS: Les adultes ayant des DID sont un groupe hétérogène de patients qui présentent des affections médicales et des facteurs qui influent sur leur santé, qui diffèrent de ceux qui touchent les autres membres de la communauté de par leur nature, leurs manifestations, leur gravité ou leur complexité. Ces personnes nécessitent une approche de soins et des interventions adaptées à leurs besoins. Les présentes lignes directrices offrent des conseils en matière de normes de soins. Nous avons incorporé des références à des outils cliniques et à d'autres ressources pratiques. Les approches de soins décrites ici s'appliquent aussi à d'autres groupes de patients ayant un déficit cognitif ou de la communication, ou d'autres déficits des fonctions adaptatives. CONCLUSION: À titre de fournisseurs de soins de première ligne, les médecins de famille jouent un rôle vital de promotion de la santé et de bien-être auprès des adultes ayant des DID. Ces lignes directrices peuvent les aider à prendre des décisions avec les patients et les aidants naturels.

Barriers to point-of-care ultrasound use in rural emergency departments.

Over the past few decades, point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has come to play a major role in the practice of emergency medicine. Despite its numerous benefits, there has been a slow uptake of PoCUS use in rural emergency departments. Surveys conducted across Canada and the United States have identified a lack of equipment, training, funding, quality assurance, and an inability to maintain skills as major barriers to PoCUS use. Potential solutions include expanding residency training in ultrasound skills, extending funding for PoCUS training to rural physicians in practice, moving PoCUS training courses to rural sites, and creating telesonography training for rural physicians. With these barriers identified and solutions proposed, corrective measures must be taken so that the benefits of PoCUS are extended to patients in rural Canada where, arguably, it has the greatest potential for benefit when access to advanced imaging is not readily available.

Palliative care conundrums in an Ebola treatment centre.

We describe the treatment course and last days of a 33-year-old man from Western Africa who died from Ebola-related complications. Specifically, the issues around declaring a patient palliative in a low resource environment while dealing with a largely unknown entity, Ebola viral disease, make this an important discussion-stimulating case. The patient presented as a confirmed Ebola-positive case from a peripheral holding centre and then proceeded to deteriorate under our care. Significant neurological decline was noted and the prognosis was felt to be grim by certain providers. Other providers disagreed and a number of treatment algorithms were started and stopped during the patient's last days. He succumbed to Ebola complications after 17 days under our care.