INTRODUCTION Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with 1.3 million new cases diagnosed every year. It has one of the lowest survival outcomes of any cancer because over two-thirds of patients are diagnosed when curative treatment is not possible. International research has focused on screening and community interventions to promote earlier presentation to a healthcare provider to im...

INTRODUCTION Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. Incidence rates have quadrupled over the last 30 years and continue to rise, especially among younger people. As routine screening of the general population is not currently recommended in the UK, a focus on secondary prevention through early detection and prompt treatment in individuals at increased risk of melanoma could make an...

Although not always formally trained in ethics, consultation-liaison (C/L) psychiatrists and psychosomatic medicine physicians who practice in general hospitals frequently see cases laden with ethical questions. In a 2006 survey of members of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, the majority of respondents reported that management of bioethical dilemmas had a significant effect on their work;...

BACKGROUND Communication between families and providers in the ICU affects patient and family outcomes and use of health-care resources. Recent research studies have tested interventions designed to improve communication quality and outcomes between providers and families of patients in the ICU. We conducted a systematic review of these studies. METHODS We searched the MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Coc...

Having a pacemaker has been seen an absolute contraindication to having an MRI scan. This has become increasingly difficult in clinical practice as insertion of pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators is at an all time high. Here we outline a case where a 71-year-old male patient with a permanent pacemaker needed to have an MRI scan to ascertain the aetiology of his condition and help...

sultation event conducted as part of the Democracy, Ethics, and Genomics: Consultation, Deliberation and Modelling [DEG] project at the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics [CAE] at the University of British Columbia [UBC]. The all day event took place in Vancouver, British Columbia on Saturday, September 24, 2005. The DEG project, funded by both Genome Canada and Genome BC, compares two ...

Between 15 and 60% of patients are considered "difficult" by their treating physicians. Patient psychiatric pathology is the conventional explanation for why patients are deemed "difficult." But the prevalence of the problem suggests the possibility of a less pathological cause. I argue that the phenomenon can be better explained as a response to problematic interactions related to health care ...

The Alberta Research Ethics Community Consensus Initiative (ARECCI) is a unique Canadian initiative that addresses the ethical oversight of two main categories of health-related investigative projects: research and quality improvement (including quality assurance and program evaluation). ARECCI was formed as a result of discussions arising from health regions, health researchers and the Alberta...

INTRODUCTION Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is defined by short-lasting, stroke-like symptoms, and is recognised as a medical emergency. Symptoms are assumed to completely resolve, and treatment is focused on secondary stroke/TIA prevention. However, evidence suggests that patients with TIA may experience ongoing residual impairments, which they do not receive therapy for as standard practice...