Medical Honey back in the health care game

Amid growing concern over drug-resistant super bugs and non-healing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic honey, is making a comeback.

More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, Derma Sciences Inc., a New Jersey based American company with branches in China and Toronto, that makes medicated and other advanced wound care products, began selling the first honey-based dressing this fall after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

It is called Medihoney, it's made from a highly absorbent seaweed-based material, saturated with Manuka honey, a particularly potent type that experts say kills germs and speeds healing.

Also called Leptospermum honey, Manuka honey comes from hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand.

Derma Sciences now sells two Medihoney dressings to hospitals, clinics and doctors in North and South America under a deal with supplier Comvita LP of New Zealand.Derma Sciences hopes to have its dressings in U.S. and Canadian drug stores in the next six months, followed by adhesive strips.

Comvita, which controls about 75 percent of the world's Manuka honey supply, sells similar products under its own name in Australia, New Zealand and Europe, where such products have been popular for over a decade.

"The reason that Medihoney is so exciting is that antibiotics are becoming ineffective at fighting pathogens," said Derma Sciences CEO Ed Quilty.

"Another big advantage is that the dressings' germ-fighting and fluid-absorbing effects last up to a week, making them convenient for patients being cared for at outpatient clinics or by visiting nurses."

"They also reduce inflammation and can eliminate the foul odors of infected wounds," he said.

Honey dressings and gels, as well as tubes of Manuka honey, have been gaining in popularity overseas, fueled by scientific reports on their medical benefits and occasional news accounts of the dramatic recovery of a patient with a longtime wound that suddenly healed.

Read the rest of the article here

Revolutionary new Hypothesis about Human Memory

When it comes to human memory, it seems that Canadians are endowed with a special gift of owning the right to unravel its mystery.

The currently pursued hypothesis is based on the proposals made by Donald Hebb, a psychology professor from Canada.

Recently Dr. Kunjumon Vadakkan, also a Canadian, has come up with a new hypothesis named as “Semblance Hypothesis”.

Back in 1949, Professor Hebb proposed that when two neurons fire together then the junction between them, named synapse, undergoes changes.

Since then scientists all around the globe were struggling more than half a century to put together these pieces of synaptic change puzzle to find answers for memory.
Even though experiments conducted thereafter proved changes in synapses, sufficient mechanism for memory was not found.
Alternative proposals for the mechanism of memory also couldn’t find answers.

Scientific nature of memory requires theoretical suggestions similar to that in Physics, followed by laboratory investigations to test it.

Dr. Vadakkan now says that our memory is from “systematic functional illusions” occurring at the shared post synapses and exneurons.
The physician turned biochemist from Kerala state in India came to Canada after spending some years of research in India.
He has received a PhD in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Kunjumon Vadakkan's brand new “Semblance Hypothesis” about the human memory is now published as a book

Read the full explanation about the hypothesis here

Statistics Canada underestimates our health care system, report says

Canadians are likely getting more value from the health care system than Statistics Canada's figures suggest, says an Ottawa-based think tank in a report criticizing the agency for shoddy estimates.

In a report to be released today and obtained by The Canadian Press, the Centre for the Study of Living Standards says Statistics Canada "may seriously underestimate" the health care system's true economic effectiveness.

It also says the agency "should devote more effort to develop better estimates of output and productivity."

"The true contribution of the health-care sector to the well-being of the Canadian population ... is not being captured in current estimates of health-care output and productivity," the report says.

Statistics Canada estimates productivity in the health care and social assistance industry fell 0.69 per cent per year from 1987-2006, the report says.

The report says that's in opposition to a 1.14 per cent increase in overall productivity in Canada during the same 20-year period.

"It is widely recognized, including by Statistics Canada officials, that these numbers may seriously underestimate the true contribution of the health-care sector to real output, and more importantly to the economic well-being of Canadians," it says.

Reached at his in-laws' house in Toronto, Andrew Sharpe, one of the authors of the report and the executive director of the centre, said the statistics agency's measurement system is flawed.

"It's an input-based measure that doesn't give you a true measure of the output of the sector," he said.

"So, there's a massive downward biased output in the health care sector in the official numbers."

The report notes several European countries and the United States are starting to measure actual output of their health care systems, and suggests Canada adopt this framework.

It suggests Statistics Canada's measurements might not fully account for improvements in the quality of health care. It notes life expectancy in Canada rose by 5.3 years from 1979 to 2004.

There will be "very different" policy implications depending on whether increased health spending stems from higher prices or improving quality, the report says.

Times&Transcript

Plastic surgeons question LipoLaser treatment

Many Canadians are opting for new procedures that use lasers to target fat in order to avoid traditional liposuction, which can require a significant investment and extensive recovery period.

But some plastic surgeons question whether laser treatments produce worthwhile results, especially considering some, including the LipoLaser procedure, don't even remove fat from the body.

“I'm skeptical that it would work as well as they say it does because liposuction isn't just removing the fat, it's sculpting,” said Lorne Tarshis, chief surgeon at the Institute of Cosmetic Surgery in Toronto.
Sculpting is a process where doctors mould skin from the inside to appear firm and toned as they vacuum out the fat.

Meridian Medical Inc., which makes the LipoLaser, touts the treatment as a non-invasive and pain-free way to reduce body fat. However, the company also says the procedure is meant for “spot fat reduction” and that clients shouldn't expect dramatic results.
Patients can expect to lose one to four centimeters after a treatment, which costs $150 to $200.

“You can have fairly significant loss when incorporated with diet and lifestyle,” said Jonas LaForge, a naturopathic physician and Meridian Medical's director of medical and technical sales.

The LipoLaser procedure works by placing paddles on the patient's desired problem area so lasers can target and break up fat cells into fatty acids, water and glycerol that are either used by the body or flushed out.

It's the second laser-based liposuction procedure to be approved in Canada in the past six months as the cosmetic surgery industry seeks to cater to clients who don't want to experience the trauma of surgery in order to trim down.

Read the full story in the Globe and Mail

Benefactress to Canadian Health Care Beryl Ivey dies

Beryl Ivey, an iconic philanthropist who for decades supported education, health care and the arts across Ontario and beyond, died on Christmas day at the age of 82.

Ms. Ivey suffered a heart attack Sunday and was hospitalized in Toronto.

She died there Christmas morning, three days shy of her 83rd birthday.

Ms. Ivey's son Richard said that his mother was in "vintage form" right up until her death.

As news of the death slowly spread, praise poured in for Ms. Ivey, who, along with her husband, donated an estimated $150-million to various causes through the Ivey Foundation.

"This city and province and country has lost a great Canadian," said Tony Dagnone, former chief executive of the London Health Sciences Centre.

At the University of Western Ontario, whose business school now bears the Ivey name, the effects of her generosity cannot be overstated, UWO president Paul Davenport said.
A private funeral will take place in London on Friday and a memorial will be held at a later date.

Born Beryl Nurse in 1924 in Chatham, Ontario, she was a celebrated track star when she arrived at UWO in 1943.
She married Dick Ivey, whom she met two months into her first year at UWO.

Dick's father, Richard G. Ivey, incorporated the Ivey Foundation in 1947.
Beryl, however, is credited with the businesslike approach to philanthropy the family adopted in the 1970s.

In June, she was named to the Order of Canada.

Her friend Bill Brady, who called Ms. Ivey "a remarkable force" - said she was "no pushover" when it came to cash.

"You had to make a strong case for financial support.
You had to prove it was worthwhile. I can't think of another philanthropic family who did the kind of research they did."

Globe and Mail

The front line warriors in the pending war against the next global epidemic will carry stethoscopes and wear lab coats, and in the case of Dr. Thomas Tsang, spectacles.
And it is likely Hong Kong will be the battleground.

The mild-mannered Tsang is considered one of the world's foremost experts in fighting the devastating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus that killed 299 people in Hong Kong and spread to Toronto in 2003.

Tsang has a huge responsibility on his hands. He is the key doctor in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region charged with ensuring the next viral outbreak, in whatever form or mutation, doesn't happen.

And if Canadians are to prevent the next tragedy, they would be wise to see what lessons have been learned in trying to stop one of the world's most deadly diseases.

"You never know what's going to happen tomorrow," Tsang said in an interview in his boardroom, which was the initial nerve centre to create a SARS response strategy during the 2003 crisis.
"You have to have a plan ready," he said. "It's not just sufficient to have a plan, you must execute it."
The normally bustling cosmopolitan financial gateway to Asia was at a standstill in 2003. Business and tourism were hardest hit by SARS which infected 1,755 residents and killed 299 from March 11 to June 6 that year.

Health-care workers and officials fought day in and day out to stop the spread of SARS.
Similar scenarios were carried out in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada where 438 people were infected, and 44 died of SARS from Feb. 23 to June 7, 2003.
SARS has been a wakeup call for health-care workers in Toronto.

Dr. Allison McGeer, director of Infection Control at Mount Sinai, said Canadians have learned from the crisis.
"There's been a number of changes in hospitals, such as guidelines for infection control, educating staff in dealing with infectious diseases, strengthening links between public health departments and hospitals, and working together more smoothly," McGeer said.

McGeer says we always have to ask ourselves: "What more can be done?"

Read the full story here

41 Employees will be losing their jobs at Bridgepoint Community Rehab (B.C.R.)

On November 29, 2007 therapy and clerical staff of B.C.R. were informed of the Board of Directors decision, that they would not renew their contract to provide home rehabilitation services with the Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre.

As a result of this decision, 41 employees, members of Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 550 will be losing their jobs as of March 28, 2008.

Since 2001 B.C.R. employees have been providing therapy services in the home to patients/clients in the Greater Toronto area, including East York, such as Physiotherapy, Speech Language Pathology, Social Work and Occupational Therapy.
B.C.R.'s decision not to bid on the next request for proposal (RFP) for therapy services in Toronto, will mean that these services will as of April 01, 2008 be subject to the RFP bidding process, and will ultimately be provided by a different service provider.

This change in service provider will result in the disruption and continuity of care to approximately 40,000 patients/clients visits a year.
This decision by B.C.R. will also have a major impact on the lives of the 41 B.C.R. employees, who will be losing their jobs as of March 28, 2008, and will no longer have access to health and welfare benefits, HOOPP, paid vacations, job security, etc as a result of B.C.R.'s decision to not engage in the bidding process for therapy services provided by the Toronto Central CCAC.

This will lead to the loss of experienced and long service community therapists.
The Ontario Government has mandated the provision of Home Care.

CNW Group

"Where is the government's support for its front line professional workers that provide this service in Toronto?"

Humber River Regional highest death rate, not Scarborough General

On orders from the provincial health ministry, Humber River Regional Hospital quietly released the worst death rate of any Toronto-area hospital.

On Monday, more than a week after the Canadian Institute for Health Information published a high-profile report containing death rates for hospitals across Canada, Humber broke its silence to report a rate of 136, meaning its in-hospital death rate was 36 points above the national average of 100.

Humber's rate is the second worst in Canada. Only Kitchener's Grand River Hospital fared worse, with a rate of 142.

The release of Humber's data also boosts Scarborough General Hospital to second worst in the GTA; its death rate was 134.

Humber's figures were omitted from the CIHI report because hospital officials insisted data inconsistencies had skewed the numbers. Hospital officials ultimately released the numbers in a brief statement on a media wire service. Calls to three Humber representatives were not returned yesterday.

The disclosure came at the insistence of the provincial government.

On Dec. 4, Health Minister George Smitherman told the Legislature that Humber would release its numbers in one week.

"My office has been in touch with Humber River Regional Hospital. In the interests of transparency, I'm pleased to tell the House that they'll be releasing their data within a week," he said in response to a question from Laura Albanese, MPP for York South-Weston.

"By next year, our government will have passed a regulation that would require all hospitals to report this data, without exemption, to ensure this information continues to drive much-needed improvements in patient safety."

Humber cited a "misunderstanding" in the data related to end-of-life care (palliative and "do not resuscitate" cases) as the reason for its numbers not being publicly released as part of the CIHI press conference Nov. 29.

Mortality rates for 85 large, Canadian, acute-care hospitals and 42 health regions, except Quebec, were released at the news conference for the first time.

"The coding discrepancies were serious enough that to release the (data) presented in the preliminary report would be misleading," the hospital said in a statement.

It said they "embrace the concept that patients deserve transparency and accountability from public institutions" and that the latest numbers show they are "producing significant improvement" in data quality.

However, CIHI told the Star yesterday Humber's rate of 136 is the same as in its original calculations.

The non-profit CIHI uses the hospital standardized mortality ratio, which looks at 65 illnesses that account for 80 per cent of in-hospital deaths, to prepare its report. Anything below 100 is better than average, anything above is worse.

The figures exclude patients in palliative care.

All the numbers crunched by CIHI were sent to the hospitals in early autumn so they could be checked, said CIHI's Christina Lawand.

Grand River officials also say their ranking is misleading. "As a consequence of incorrectly filed data sent to CIHI, over 32 percent of the mortalities included in the Grand River Hospital's ranking should not have been counted because they were in fact palliative care patients being provided end-of-life comfort, not curative, care," said Nancy Hewat, Grand River's executive director of foundation and public affairs.

In Toronto, the University Health Network had the best overall rate, 87, for its three-hospital system. The now-closed Peel Memorial Hospital also had a low rate, 81.

For years, Canadian hospital administrators have known the death rates inside their hospitals but they were never publicized. The disclosure followed a year-long Toronto Star investigation into medical secrecy that examined the lack of information available to patients. As part of the series, the Star urged the public reporting of death rates.

Humber was created in 1997 by the merger of Humber Memorial, Northwestern General and York-Finch General Hospital. It sees about 365,000 outpatients each year and has 100,000 emergency visits, according to its website.

Smitherman told the Legislature his government sees transparency as something that is "powerful and beneficial to our patients."

He also announced that by the beginning of April it will require all hospitals involved in Ontario's Wait Time Strategy to report infection rates in three areas.

And, by the end of July, it will introduce a regulation requiring all provincial hospitals to inform patients about medical errors.
The Star

Editor's opinion:

"I was kind of expecting this when Humber River General was reported to be the only hospital that hadn't submitted the numbers yet (read related article).

That to me, was really suspicious!"

Related article:

Scarborough General Hospital highest death rate in the GTA

Higher dose of folic acid could reduce birth defects with 50%

Women planning pregnancy should increase their intake of folic acid as much as possible since it could play a key role in reducing as many as half of certain birth defects, according to new guidelines released Wednesday.

The recommendations were produced for health care professionals by a multidisciplinary panel of experts from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

Women with no personal health risks, a planned pregnancy and a diet of foods rich in folate should take a multivitamin containing between 0.4 and one milligram of folic acid at least two to three months before conception and throughout pregnancy, the recommendations say.

However, women who are at higher risk, including those who are smokers, obese, diabetic or with previous history of spina bifida in the family should be supplementing their diet with multivitamins containing five milligrams of folic acid, three months prior to and up to 12 weeks following conception.

After the first 12 weeks, in both at-risk and normal pregnancies, women should take a multivitamin containing between 0.4 and one mg of folic acid, and keep taking it as long as breastfeeding continues.

Read the full story on CBC News

Dr. Colleen Flood about "Wait Times in Canada"

On November 26th and 27th, 2007, health care and policy experts from across the country were invited to help write the prescription for managing wait times for health care at the Wait Times in Canada conference, co-hosted by Kingston General Hospital and Queen's University.

At the conference, someone from InsiderMedicine had a chance to speak to Dr. Colleen Flood. Dr. Flood is Scientific Director of CIHR's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR).

She is also a former Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto and a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy. She completed her Master of Laws (LL.M.) in 1994 and her Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) in 1998 at the University of Toronto.

Her areas of research interest include comparative health care policy, public/private financing of health care systems, health care reform, and accountability and governance issues. She was the 1999 Labelle Lecturer in Health Services Research and was appointed a Senior Fellow of Massey College in 2004 and in 2006 on to the Corporation of Massey College.

"Find out what Dr. Flood has to say about the health care system in Canada compared to the rest of the world and wait times in particular in this Flash video:"

In Depth - "Wait Times in Canada" - Dr. Colleen Flood

Toronto's Bridgepoint Health launches latest eHealth presentation.

Last Tuesday, an exciting new Bridgepoint Health LiveWell! Podcast and Videocast were aired by first featured speaker and initiator Dr. Alex Jadad, Chief Innovator and Founder, Centre for Global eHealth Innovation.

His presentation, entitled "Living Well with Chronic Disease in the Age of the Internet and Social Networks" is now available as a Video(pod)cast: here.

Highlights are:

• Why a "tidal wave" of chronic illness is coming
• How can we minimize its impact
• How are Virtual Social Networks impacting chronic care
• Facebook: Bringing friends, students and patients together for chronic disease management
• How patients are self organizing today
• Joining forces
• Embracing innovation and change

Bridgepoint Health launched the new LiveWell! lecture series to support the community's understanding of the economic, social and public impacts of people living with Complex Chronic Disease.

Bridgepoint Health has taken the lead in recognizing that Complex Chronic Disease patients require a different kind of care than the current system was designed for.

With our commitment to changing the world for people living with Complex Chronic Disease, Bridgepoint Health is building a unique "campus of care".

This hospital will provide specialized care to meet the complicated medical needs of our patients. It will also create an environment to foster a new generation of researchers, doctors, nurses and therapists.
These professionals will be equipped with new knowledge and new skills to help people live well while living with Complex Chronic Disease.
Which means we'll be ready to help you enjoy your extra 10 or 15 years.

Dr. Alex Jadad Dr. Alex Jadad's mission is to help improve health and wellness for all, thorough information and communication technologies (ICTs). Dr. Jadad is the founder of the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation. He is also spearheading the development of the Global eHealth and eWellness Network Initiative (GENI, pronounced as "genie").


More info can be found at www.lifechanges.ca or www.bridgepointhealth.ca.