Discussions

The healthcare information technology landscape in Canada is evolving rapidly as it tries to balance the need to respond effectively and urgently to the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to manage challenges already placing immense pressure on the Canadian healthcare system.

As healthcare providers, are we taught to follow our intuition or gut feeling? Or are we taught to be methodical, sensible and have justification for every single one of our actions? When is it okay to follow our intuition? Does it matter when it comes to judging the demeanor of a patient given their physical presentation versus being skeptical about adherence in a patient for a life-saving medication? What if the situation entailed picking up on non-verbal social cues of your patient’s partner alluding to abuse, oppression, or vulnerability? When is it too far to follow your gut feeling as a healthcare professional?

Online bookings are now being offered as an alternative to walk-ins at clinics in Vancouver, Richmond and North Vancouver. Clearly, Vancouver Coastal Health needs to do a good job scheduling thousands of appointments, especially since the latest report by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows that the total number of COVID-19 cases among B.C. healthcare workers rose to 3,624 from 1,442 when I last reported the figure six weeks ago.

As we mourn the loss of lives and livelihoods, so much is different. But 2020 didn't change absolutely everything. This past year also saw an outdated healthcare system continuing to rely on the fax machine, even for urgent matters. Some clinics continued to ask for their form to be used for all consultation requests, even if all of the information was included in the original request letter. And doctors continued to receive all manner of medico-legal paperwork.

Specificity saves lives. Specialization matters. This pandemic has revealed many cracks in our systems of patient care. It's certainly laying bare the lack of knowledge about mental illness, but we can correct that by having experts in various fields speak to this.

At November's #ChildHealthCan2020 virtual conference, Dr. Reshma Amin, a pediatric respirologist from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto gave an overview of an innovative program she directs that provides a virtual care platform for those requiring mechanical ventilation at home.

The lockdowns and public health directives for Christmas 2020 could be an opportunity and an excuse to do things differently. With all the pivoting over the past months, humans have proven how creative and resourceful they are. Why not pick the favourite pieces of Christmas and fold them into new alternatives? Why not make Christmas 2020 the opportunity of a lifetime to create fresh traditions that could be more fun and possibly permanent?