Consensus Statement Regarding the Application of Biogen to Health Canada for Approval of Aducanumab

Alzheimer’s disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are no disease-modifying pharmacotherapies for this condition. Aducanumab, an amyloid beta-directed monoclonal antibody that targets aggregated forms of amyloid-beta in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, has raised hopes that such a therapy has been discovered, but its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration has engendered a good deal of controversy. A similar application for approval has been submitted to Health Canada. In response to this, a group of Canadian clinical dementia experts representing a number of organizations, including the Canadian Geriatrics Society, was convened by the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) to discuss the evidence currently available on this agent and seek consensus on what advice they would offer Health Canada on the application. There was wide-spread agreement that it would be premature for aducanumab to receive approval for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. It was also noted that the Canadian health-care system is poorly prepared at this time to deal with a disease-modifying therapeutic with targeting, administration, and monitoring characteristics like aducanumab. In this paper, the consensus reached is presented along with its underlying rationale.

LGBTQ2S+ diversity: leading and celebrating pride

Organizations that actively promote diversity tend to be learning and practice environments of choice, excellence, and innovation. However, despite all our hard work and successful social equity efforts, discrimination still exists in Canadian health care and medical education. Leaders can influence diversity in their organization by taking four urgent actions.

Exploring Health Professional Criminality and Competence Using the Case of Canadian Health Care Serial Killer Elizabeth Wettlaufer

ABSTRACT Health professional criminal behavior and clinical incompetence are distinct concepts that both endanger the public. In this paper, we compare and contrast these concepts using the case of convicted Canadian health care serial killer Elizabeth Wettlaufer, who also exhibited a pattern of clinical incompetence throughout her career. As one Canadian province is proposing changes to self-regulation to become more like the United Kingdom, we highlight four ways to improve protection of the public in a self-regulating system. These include meta-regulation, standardized hiring practices, increased transparency by regulatory bodies and improved communication across regulators and other agencies.

The Underutilization Of International Medical Graduates In Ontario and Canada: A Selective Review Of The Existing Literature On The Experiences Of International Medical Graduates In The Context Of Canadian Health Care Policies

This paper will examine the phenomenon of the underutilization of IMGs in Canada and Ontario. Using the existing literature selectively as it relates to the key research questions, it will be argued that health policy initiatives have contributed in diverse ways to the underutilization of IMGs in the health care system, with significant negative impact upon the life experiences of the IMGs and their families. As will be seen, we need to consider how these health policies have been influenced by other factors – such as systemic discrimination, an issue whose importance is suggested in some of the scholarly literature on this topic – that have contributed to this problem as well as to its resistance to policy remediation.

The Underutilization Of International Medical Graduates In Ontario and Canada: A Selective Review Of The Existing Literature On The Experiences Of International Medical Graduates In The Context Of Canadian Health Care Policies

This paper will examine the phenomenon of the underutilization of IMGs in Canada and Ontario. Using the existing literature selectively as it relates to the key research questions, it will be argued that health policy initiatives have contributed in diverse ways to the underutilization of IMGs in the health care system, with significant negative impact upon the life experiences of the IMGs and their families. As will be seen, we need to consider how these health policies have been influenced by other factors – such as systemic discrimination, an issue whose importance is suggested in some of the scholarly literature on this topic – that have contributed to this problem as well as to its resistance to policy remediation.

List of 2021 Health Technology Trends to Watch

The CADTH Horizon Scanning Service identifies and monitors new and emerging health technologies likely to have a significant impact on health care in Canada. This Watch List focuses on those categories of medical devices, clinical interventions, or other health technologies that are, or may become, important or disruptive to Canadian health care or decision-making in the next few years. Among others, the trends and technologies featured in this Watch List include: developments of artificial intelligence within imaging technologies greater integration and connectedness of wearables to improving patient monitoring systems proliferation of transcatheter valve devices driving innovations for interventional cardiology increasing interest and development of non-pharmacological solutions for pain management rapid growth in technologies and digital services enabling virtual care