August 5, 2021

In this issue

• Notice of Elections and Changes to AMA Bylaws
• MyHealth Records: Lab Results Online for Patients via My Personal Records
• CII/CPAR helping to overcome communication barriers for patients
• CMA Annual General Meeting
• Supporting individuals who use methamphetamines
• The pension income tax credit: One benefit of opening an RRIF early
• Survey Corner:
  • Professional and Student Understanding of Clinical Presentations

Notice of Elections and Changes to AMA Bylaws

The 116th AMA Annual General Meeting will be held via Zoom at 7 p.m., September 28. As required under the AMA Bylaws, members received 60 days' notice of:

• Proposed bylaws changes to be considered
• Elections to take place at the AGM
  (Deputy speaker and AMA representatives to CMA General Council for 2022)

MyHealth Records: Lab Results Online for Patients via My Personal Records

On February 1, 95% of the most commonly ordered lab test results were made were made available in My Personal Records (MPR), found in MyHealth Records, the single access point for Albertans’ personal health information.

Making more results available online provides Albertans with more access to their health information and acts as an additional safety net for patient care within the system. Additional results are being added through to September 2021. More complex results in pathology and other areas will be included in MPR beginning August 23.

Learn more about the release of lab results including timelines, frequently asked questions and a recorded webinar hosted by the AMA and Alberta Health Services.

CII/CPAR helping to overcome communication barriers for patients 
 

At his Calgary family practice, many of Dr. Barney Truong’s patients are immigrants who do not speak English. Language barriers are challenging for patients and medical professionals, and Dr. Truong is acutely aware of the information gaps in our health care system that can result from these challenges.

One of Dr. Truong’s patients, an 88-year-old Vietnamese woman, does not speak English and neither do her primary caregivers. She has a long history of bronchiectasis and recurrent lung infections, and a few years ago, after being given the antibiotic levofloxacin, she developed a severe rash. Without the information flow of Community Information Integration/Central Patient Attachment Registry (CII/CPAR), there was a potential information gap between other health care professionals and her allergy diagnosis to this particular antibiotic.

Dr. Truong’s clinic started participating in CII/CPAR earlier last year, and through his clinic’s participation in the initiative, Dr. Truong's patient’s antibiotic allergy information was shared to her Community Encounter Digest in Netcare, which ensured other physicians and health care providers have access to her allergy information.

Read the full story and learn how CII/CPAR can help with overcoming communication barriers

CMA Annual General Meeting

The CMA AGM will take place on August 22 from 3 - 6 p.m. ET. To attend the virtual meeting, CMA members must register by 8 p.m. ET on August 16. Meeting and registration information is available on the CMA website at AGM | CMA Health Summit. CMA members will be voting on some important proposed governance changes at the AGM, that are intended to foster equity, diversity and inclusion in CMA leadership roles. Please visit the CMA website to learn more about the proposed changes and consider registering and attending the AGM to add your voice to the discussion.

Supporting individuals who use methamphetamines

The Methamphetamine Client Transitions to Primary Care project has three pathways to support patient transitions to primary care following discharge from hospital detoxification/recovery center.

The (1) Hospital to Primary Care Pathway and (2) Detoxification/Recovery Centre to Primary Care Pathway are designed to support individuals who are already connected to a family physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant in the community. The (3) Attachment Protocol supports individuals who use methamphetamines who do not yet have a primary care provider and are interested in finding one. All three pathways were developed by multidisciplinary teams with representatives from primary care, hospitals and detoxification/recovery centers, and are hosted on the Connect MD website. Each pathway includes tools, resources, and links to help with the transition.

Learn more about the project, pathways and associated CME accredited course, Caring for Clients with Methamphetamine Concerns.

Sponsored advertisement
 

The pension income tax credit: One benefit of opening an RRIF early

Do you want to reduce your household tax bill in retirement? As a physician, you may not have much income from a pension plan in retirement, but you may have income that’s eligible for the pension income tax credit. Find out what this tax credit is and how it works.

MD Financial Management provides financial products and services, the MD Family of Funds and investment counselling services through the MD Group of Companies. For a detailed list of these companies, visit md.ca. MD Financial Management and Scotiabank are proud sponsors of the AMA Youth Run Club.

Survey Corner

Health care partners and other organizations often seek physician feedback through surveys. This month, the following is available for your consideration:

Professional and Student Understanding of Clinical Presentations: A Vignette Study

This study is to assess professional and student identification, knowledge and understanding of the diverse conditions individuals may present in a clinical setting. Participants will be presented with two brief clinical vignettes and will then be asked to complete subsequent questionnaires based on these readings.

Editor's note: "Survey Corner" presents survey requests received and reviewed by the AMA, that may be of interest to our members. We will publish new opportunities as we receive them.

Last issue's top stories
 

When it’s time to retire
 

Updating provider and prescriber information simplified
 

Healthy Working Environments Committee

In the August 5 MD Scope Classifieds you'll find listings for:
 

- Physicians wanted

- Locums wanted

- Space available
- For sale
- Services

More from the AMA

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