UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Atlas of Cells

“The Human Cell Atlas will impact almost every aspect of biology and medicine, ultimately leading to a richer understanding of life’s most fundamental units and principles.”

“The Human Cell Atlas is a global consortium that is mapping every cell type in the human body, creating a 3-dimensional Atlas of human cells to transform our understanding of biology and disease. The Atlas is likely to lead to major advances in the way illnesses are diagnosed and treated.

There are about 37 trillion cells in the human body and each has its own specialized role. To identify, understand and map each cellular role, HCA researchers use and develop innovative technologies such as single cell transcriptomics, spatial genomics, and computational and AI techniques. These can reveal the active genes and other characteristics in an individual cell to help classify what the cell does, and where exactly it lives and works in the body.”

Learn more about the Human Cell Atlas.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

She’s Not Alone: Misdiagnosed & Dismissed

“A woman who says she was repeatedly denied adequate emergency care last spring is blasting the Newfoundland and Labrador health-care system, saying she’s been left psychologically scarred after being told several times that her gangrenous appendix was simply anxiety or constipation.

Joy Spence, 21, said she visited emergency departments at two hospitals in St. John’s over the course of nearly two weeks this May.

What began as weakness and abdominal pain on her right side quickly deteriorated into blacking out from the agony in her torso. 

But no matter how dire her symptoms got, doctors kept sending her home.

‘They would just tell me, ‘Your bloodwork’s normal, there’s nothing we can do.’ They would send me home, then same thing again,” she said. ‘I would go back again. They would get me to do the bloodwork, say everything’s normal.’

Ultrasound and CT scans apparently turned up nothing, but Spence, in such severe pain, says she had no option but to keep returning to the hospital, where she says she was eventually left screaming in a waiting room, ignored by hospital staff.

‘If somebody doesn’t help me, I’m going to die,’ she recalls wailing, watching doctors and nurses pass her by.

At one point, she was dismissed outright by a walk-in clinic nurse, she adds.

‘Somebody said to me, ‘I don’t know what you expect me to do,’ she said. ‘You’re a healthy 21-year-old young female.’

Doctors said her gangrenous appendix was just anxiety. She’s not alone via CBC News.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Canada Records its First Human Bird Flu Case

“Canada has confirmed its first human case of bird flu after a teenager tested positive for the virus, according to health authorities.

The teenager, from the western province of British Columbia, is believed to have caught the H5 avian flu from a bird or animal, said a statement by the province on Saturday. The infected person is undergoing treatment at a children’s hospital.

The province said it was tracing the teenager’s contacts to pinpoint the source of the contagion.

‘This is a rare event,’ British Columbia Health Officer Bonnie Henry said in a statement. ‘We are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in BC.’

Canada’s Health Minister Mark Holland assured members of the public that the risk to them remains low.”

Read more on ‘Rare event’: Canada records its first human bird flu case via AlJazeera.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Human Tissues, Aging, & the Space Station

“Researchers from the SIL flew to the Kennedy Space Centre (Florida, USA) to integrate the samples into the payload in preparation for the launch, which took place early in the early hours of Tuesday 5th November (UK time).

The samples are housed inside a Science Cube, which will be accommodated inside the ICE Cubes Facility once onboard the ISS; the platform provides power and data to the payload, as well as real-time connectivity with ground, enabling researchers back in Oxford to monitor and interact with the experiment in real-time.

Dr Ghada Alsaleh, who leads the Space Innovation Lab at Oxford, said: ‘This is an exciting moment— not just because we’re embarking on a journey to space, but because we’re bringing along a ground-breaking project that could help people live healthier lives, both on Earth and in Space.

‘Our project seeks to uncover how ageing progresses under microgravity conditions, and to test if these conditions could speed up the study of ageing processes that take much longer to observe on Earth. By conducting this research on the International Space Station (ISS), we hope to gain insights that could lead to breakthroughs in understanding and treating age-related diseases. These discoveries could significantly improve the quality of life for people on Earth, reducing the burden of ageing not only for individuals but also for their loved ones and society as a whole.

‘Using cutting-edge tools like organoids, 3D printing, and mechanical stress testing, we’re trying to understand how ageing works at the cellular level. The goal is to find ways to slow down age-related health issues, whether you’re on Earth or up in Space.'”

More on Oxford space lab experiment heads to International Space Station via University of Oxford news.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Health Ethics Week

November 4, 2024 | 12 – 1 pm
Practices and Challenges Surrounding Moral Distress in Healthcare: A Conversation
Alice Virani & Dawn Tisdale (PHSA), Esther Alonso-Prieto (NH), Drew Clark (UBC), and Kristina Smith (VCH)
Register: https://vancouvercoastalhealth.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m0hkmxhnSFOgm8E-8ElIIg#/registration

November 5, 2024 | 12 – 1 pm
Ethical and Equity Implications of Infant Feeding Guidelines for People Living with HIV
Thivia Jegathesan (PHSA Ethics)
Register:
https://phsa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S-f7yfLDT0a1geiKRFkilw#/registration

November 6, 2024 | 12 – 1 pm
Ethics for Lunch: Hospital Discharge in the Context of Risk and Unhoused Individuals
Jesse Jenkinson (MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions)
Register: https://phsa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xIich3GcTV2_GpGC0UjDrw#/registration

November 7, 2024 | 12:30 – 1:30 pm
AI Ethics in Healthcare
Alice Virani (PHSA Ethics)
Register:
https://phsa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VfIfXCkeT3aOJBcQbhrs4Q#/registration

November 8, 2024 | 12 – 1 pm
Exploring Novel Perspectives on Conflicts of Interest in Research
Nina Preto (PHSA Ethics), Aasta Thielke (Research Services), and Elie Akl (American University of Beirut). 
Register:
https://phsa.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_14wkpPJ-Snu8uyIT-6-RYg#/registration

Questions? Please contact alexandra.olmosperez@phsa.ca or
ethics@phsa.ca

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Trick or Treat?

INTRODUCTION This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative Halloween-themed interprofessional simulation activity for healthcare students. The objective for the activity was to engage diverse groups of students in relevant healthcare scenarios to build skills in emergency management and enhance knowledge about one another’s professions. In addition, our objectives included providing the opportunity for students to collaborate with one another and communicate effectively as a team as they rotated through the simulations.

METHODS A one-group posttest survey design was used for this event.

RESULTS The quantitative findings, while not statistically significant, indicated that the largest perceived change was observed in communication. The qualitative findings gave further insight into the students’ perspectives on what they learned about one another’s disciplines and roles as well as the importance of teamwork and communication.

DISCUSSION Interprofessional simulations provide students with an opportunity to learn about from, with, and about one another’s professions.  

Learn more on Simulations using Halloween-Themed Scenarios via Health, Interprofessional Practice, & Education.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Pupil Size

Multidimensional signals and processes map onto a single scalar variable or metric—the pupil size

“Pupil size is a widely used metric of brain state. It is one of the few signals originating from the brain that can be readily monitored with low-cost devices in basic science, clinical, and home settings. It is, therefore, important to investigate and generate well-defined theories related to specific interpretations of this metric. What exactly does it tell us about the brain? Pupils constrict in response to light and dilate during darkness, but the brain also controls pupil size irrespective of luminosity. Pupil size fluctuations resulting from ongoing “brain states” are used as a metric of arousal, but what is pupil-linked arousal and how should it be interpreted in neural, cognitive, and computational terms? Here, we discuss some recent findings related to these issues. We identify open questions and propose how to answer them through a combination of well-defined tasks, neurocomputational models, and neurophysiological probing of the interconnected loops of causes and consequences of pupil size.”

Read more on Neurobehavioral meaning of pupil size via Neuron.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Patients & Summaries by AI

“As artificial intelligence continues to develop in seemingly all facets of life — including health care — experts say it’s important for patients to know AI may be used in their care.

‘I think we’re going to see significant advances in AI use and AI capacity in the next few years,’ said Dr. Sian Tsuei, a family physician at Metrotown Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Burnaby, B.C.

‘I think we’re only seeing the start of it. So I would really encourage patients to continuously stay informed and for doctors to also be staying informed.’

Here are some AI risks and benefits Tsuei and other experts recommend you discuss with your health-care provider…

Read more on What patients should know about doctor visit summaries by AI via CBC.

UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

Canada Patient Safety Week: Virtual Event

A special virtual event during this year’s Canada Patient Safety Week! 

Mark your calendars for October 30, 2024 for a free virtual screening and discussion of “Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story”.

Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story is a short film on Greg Price’s journey through the healthcare system. The 30-minute film gives a glimpse of who Greg was and focuses on the events of his healthcare journey that ended in his unexpected and tragic death. The message of the film is intended to inspire positive change and improvement in the healthcare system. This event offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation about patient safety and care.

View the trailer link and register here: https://gregswings.ca/CPSW24

For a closer look into Greg’s healthcare journey, read “Greg Price: Slipping Through the Healthcare System” via Calgary Journal.

To learn how Greg’s story and tragic death are being used as a teaching tool, see “From tragedy to action: Greg Price’s health-care journey now a teaching tool for UCalgary med students” via UCalgary News.