CMAJ Podcasts

On this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole delve into the evolution and advancements in virtual urgent care since the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion centers around the study published in CMAJ entitled " Healthcare utilization and outcomes of patients seen by virtual urgent care versus in-person emergency department care ," which analyzed patient usage and outcomes during the...

On this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with two vaccine experts about the necessity, timing and availability of vaccines as we move into the season when influenza, RSV and COVID-19 are on the rise. Dr. Scott Halperin, co-author of a CMAJ practice paper on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pregnancy, emphasizes the importance of vaccination to protect against COVID-19 infection during pr...

In this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole delve into the pressing issue of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Canada with Dr. Evan Wood, the lead author of the “Canadian guideline for the clinical management of high risk drinking and alcohol use disorder ” published in CMAJ .  They explore the concerning prevalence of AUD in Canada, contrasting it with other countries and shedding light on th...

In this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole speak with two co-authors of a new guideline published in CMAJ entitled " Preventive care recommendations to promote health equity ". Dr. Nav Persaud and Dr. Aisha Lofters explain the importance of embedding health equity into healthcare and discuss specific ways public policy and individual primary care physicians can work together...

In this episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole speak with two leading experts: Dr. Samira Jeimy, an allergist, and Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a specialist in infectious diseases, about the increasing prevalence of allergies and infections in Canada attributed to insects. Dr. Jeimy authored the article in the CMAJ titled “Five things to know about… tick-borne red meat allergy (α-gal syndrome)”. Dr. Jei...

Canada’s emergency departments are in crisis: hospital occupancy rates exceed 90% for many days in a row, and many Canadian hospitals have been exceeding 100% occupancy for months on end. As a result, quality of care has decreased, staff retention has become problematic and overcrowding of emergency departments, a symptom of the problem, is assured. On this episode, Drs. Omole and Bigham speak wit...

On this encore episode, we revisit and update one of the most-read articles on the CMAJ website. The article is titled, “ Smartphones, social media use, and youth mental health .” It reviews the extensive literature linking poor mental health in adolescents with smartphone and social media use. The article details a variety of studies that implicate smartphone and social media use in increased men...

== This is an encore presentation of an episode originally published on Jan 30, 2023 == Migraine is a common condition that affects around 12% of adults, with a higher prevalence in women (18%) than men (6%). Global burden of disease estimates in 2019 found migraine to be the leading cause of disability in women aged 15-49 years and the second leading cause of disability overall.  On this episode,...

The award-winning essay in the CMAJ , " Sometimes, often , " beautifully showcases the power of narrative to forge a deep connection between physicians and patients. The article clearly resonated with our readers, as it was the most-read humanities piece this year. On this episode, the author, Dr. Simran Sandhu, delivers a powerful reading of her article. She then speaks with Drs. Blair...

Radon gas exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, accounting for approximately 3,000 cases annually in Canada. A “Five things to know about…” paper in CMAJ   entitled “R adon and lung cancer risk " encourages physicians to ask patients to test their home and workplace for the invisible gas. Dr. Silvina Mema and Greg Baytalan are co-authors of the article, and on this epis...

Major hemorrhage is life-threatening and can occur in a variety of clinical settings. A review paper in CMAJ , entitled " Nonsurgical management of major hemorrhage , " advocates for the implementation of massive hemorrhage protocols across all types of hospitals to optimize patient care. Dr. Jeannie Callum , the article's lead author and the Director of Transfusion Medicine at King...

Many women complain that physicians are reluctant to treat menopause with the full range of available therapies, often dismissing symptoms as 'natural' and something to be endured. A review article in CMAJ   finds that physician fears around menopausal hormone therapy and lack of knowledge regarding treatment options often impede patients from receiving treatment. On this episode, Drs. M...

On this episode, Dr. Greg Hundemar, co-author of the practice paper in CMAJ “ Screening for primary aldosteronism in primary care ” discusses primary aldosteronism, its implications and the need to expand screening guidelines.  Primary aldosteronism, also known as primary hyperaldosteronism or Conn's syndrome, is an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands secrete too much aldosterone, lea...

Allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS) affects approximately 1 in 1,000 patients prescribed allopurinol, with reported mortality rates between 20% and 25%. The risk of AHS is nearly 100 times higher in carriers of the HLA-B*58:01 allele than in noncarriers. Populations with a high allele frequency include Han Chinese (6%-8%), Korean (12%), and Thai (6%-8%) people. In this episode, Drs. Wid Ya...

Fragility fractures are a major health concern for older adults and can result in disability, admission to hospital and long-term care, and reduced quality of life.  The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline published in CMAJ provides evidence-based recommendations on screening for primary prevention of fragility fractures. In this special episode of the CMAJ podcast, CMAJ editor...

An estimated 23%-45% of patients undergoing major surgery have anemia, with the most common causes being iron deficiency anemia and anemia of inflammation or chronic disease. In this episode, Drs. Mojola Omole and Blair Bigham speak with Dr. Clarissa Skorupski and Dr. Yulia Lin, two authors of the practice paper in CMAJ , "Five things to know about preoperative anemia in major elective surger...

Many patients report their symptoms of endometriosis are often dismissed by healthcare providers as “normal” dysmenorrhea. This worldwide trend results in delays to diagnosis that are estimated to range from 6 to 11 years from symptom onset.  On this episode, Drs. Bigham and Omole speak with Dr. Catharine Allaire, a clinical professor at UBC's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and co-a...

Clinicians may find diagnosing polyneuropathy challenging due to the vague and insidious onset of symptoms. Identifying signs consistent with polyneuropathy and determining which investigations to conduct and when to be concerned can be daunting. Polyneuropathy involves simultaneous dysfunction of multiple peripheral nerves, with the most common form being distal symmetric polyneuropathy. Symptoms...

The use of electric scooters (e-scooters) has witnessed a substantial surge globally. However, the presence of these motorized vehicles on sidewalks poses a significant risk to pedestrians. A recent practice paper published in CMAJ describes the case of a 68-year-old woman who suffered serious injuries while walking on a city sidewalk after being hit by an e-scooter traveling at approximately 30 k...

Uptake of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for children aged 5–11 years has been lower than anticipated in Canada. Although research has explored parental intentions toward SARS-CoV-2 vaccination for children, the drivers of parents’ decisions to seek vaccination for their children - or not -  have not been studied in-depth.  A research paper published in CMAJ ,  entitled Parents’ perspectives on SARS-CoV-2...

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario saw a 5600% increase in virtual visits to health care practitioners, while in-office visits decreased by 79% from the previous year. In 2018, only 4% of family physicians in Canada were offering video visits while, at the peak of the pandemic, about 80% of primary care visits were being delivered virtually in Ontario. Media reports at the time suggested pati...

Migraine is a common condition that affects around 12% of adults, with a higher prevalence in women (18%) than men (6%). Global burden of disease estimates in 2019 found migraine to be the leading cause of disability in women aged 15-49 years and the second leading cause of disability overall.  On this episode, Drs. Mojole and Bigham interview three authors of two review articles on the topic publ...

Diagnosing long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is challenging for clinicians. With up to 200 possible symptoms, heterogeneous presentations and no definitive diagnostic test, the diagnosis is a clinical one. In this episode, Dr. Kieran Quinn, a general internist and palliative care physician at Mount Sinai and Bridgepoint Hospitals in Toronto, emphasizes the importan...

On this special episode, Drs. Blair Bigham and Mojola Omole interview CMAJ editor-in-chief, Dr. Kirsten Patrick, and executive editor, Dr. James Maskalyk. They talk about the journal's accomplishments over the past year and some of the challenges related to its increased focus on social determinants of health and equity. In the year ahead, Drs. Patrick and Maskalyk say the journal will focus...

A popular theory to explain the crisis in primary care in Canada is that newly graduating physicians simply do not see as many patients as previous generations. But recently published research has thoroughly debunked that myth. David Rudoler is the lead author of research published in CMAJ entitled Changes over time in patient visits and continuity of care among graduating cohorts of family physic...