Author: UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

“What distinguishes pi from all other numbers is its connection to cycles. For those of us interested in the applications of mathematics to the real world, this makes pi indispensable. Whenever we think about rhythms—processes that repeat periodically, with a fixed tempo, like a pulsing heart or a planet orbiting the sun—we inevitably encounter pi.

….pi is intimately associated with waves, from the ebb and flow of the ocean’s tides to the electromagnetic waves that let us communicate wirelessly. At a deeper level, pi appears in both the statement of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle and the Schrödinger wave equation, which capture the fundamental behavior of atoms and subatomic particles. In short, pi is woven into our descriptions of the innermost workings of the universe.” More on Why PI Matters by Steven Strogatz.

And to those who want to make pie to celebrate the occasion…check out the recipe above!

Warm regards!

Jacqueline

#PiDay #PerfectCircle #RhythmsAndProcesses #OrderAndRandomness #PiAndPie

“On nights when I see my wife and daughter together, dancing across our living room floor, Beyoncé on the speaker and my baby leading the choreography, I’m almost brought to tears. It’s not that every small moment is now overflowing with emotion — I’m just more present while deciding on a board game to play or what takeout to order, less distracted, less focused on what’s happening tomorrow, or how dominant I am in a game of Uno.

I’ve given myself permission to feel it all, every single emotion. The good and bad alike. My own personal narrative has always been one of overcoming adversity and remaining strong for those around me. I still am, but I am also able to admit that sometimes I’m scared.” Trymaine Lee on My Life After a Heart Attach at 38 via The New York Times.

Eiko Ojala designs the most wonderful paper illustrations! His recent editorial illustration showcased above accompanied Lee’s NYT article. Eiko’s latest work focuses on the mind and body. You can view more of his brilliant creations here and here.

Visual communication is incredibly powerful and often a cathartic process for the illustrator. Dr. Mike Natter’s work in Progress Notes: Cancer (seen above) captures the tension and struggle he’s experiencing in delivering bad news. Patients are also increasingly using visual communication to explain their symptoms and diseases to their doctors. “Show, don’t tell: How visuals improve healthcare visits” describes how imagery is employed to describe and document the patient’s journey.

It was interesting to note in the article that EMR systems are expanding in their ability to include photographs and paper drawings (thanks to dermatologists and surgeons). Furthermore, OurNotes is an initiative recently launched “letting patients, caregivers, and providers jointly create clinical notes and care plans within the shared electronic health record.”

For those interested in using visual communication tools with their patients, drawMD is a free app that you can download and test!

Just a reminder that I’ve scheduled the following for Thursday, March 21 from 9:30-11:30:

• So you’re finishing residency: What you wish someone had told you (fees, licences, memberships)
• Evaluating payment and practice options in British Columbia

If you prefer to join us from a remote location, here are the following instructions:

System testing – Action required (Prior to March 20^th):

• Click here to download the required software for the session.
• Enter your email address at the login page and click Attend.
• Enter your first name, last name and the name that you want to appear to others during the “live” session. Click Attend.
• Follow the instructions provided onscreen to install the Saba Meeting connector (Step 1) and the Saba Meeting app (Step 2) for the browser that you are using.

System testing (for iPad and mobile users) – Action required (Prior to March 20^th):

• Download the Saba Meeting app from either the Apple Store or Play Store.
• Click here to test your app.
• Enter your e-mail, first name, last name and the name that you want to appear to others during the “live” session.

To attend the event on March 21^st: Please click here and repeat the login procedure (all devices).

Warm regards,

Jacqueline

“What we are seeing is that technology can be used to help patients be more autonomous and to improve their health in partnership with their clinical teams. These benefits can be achieved at home but also inside the hospital where patients have a great desire to directly manage their room environment and access to information that impacts their medical care.”

Chris Longhurst, MD, Chief Information Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer at UC San Diego Health

Read more on Tech Tips: Four Top Health Systems Share Novel Approaches to Improve Patient Engagement by Jackie Carr.

#PatientEngagement #EmpoweredByEducation #ConsumerTechnologies

“After earning her medical degree in 1967 from the University of British Columbia, Dr. Wendy Clay became the first female officer cadet in the Royal Canadian Navy. In honour of International Women’s Day and to commemorate its 150^th anniversary, the Canadian Medical Association will share a story of a female physician who contributed to the advancement of women in medicine each hour starting today at 6am. These stories will appear on both Twitter and Facebook and can be viewed on The Canadian Medical Association’s website here.”

More on Celebrating female trailblazers in Medicine on International Women’s Day.

#InternationalWomensDay2019 #Trailblazers #WomenInMedicine #InnovateForChange #UBC #PrioritizingWomensHealth

“Everyone is so busy doing research, they don’t have time to stop and think about the way they are doing it and whether perhaps they could do things differently and better. It’s a bit like a treadmill; you have to keep running to stand still so to speak.” ~ Douglas Altman

If evidence-based medicine is a topic that you’re interested in pursuing, you may want to check out this opportunity. Watch the video above first! Douglas Altman (1948-2018) was Professor of Statistics in Medicine and Director of the Centre for Statistics in Medicine at the University of Oxford and the BMJ’s chief statistical advisor for over twenty years. The Doug Altman Scholarship provides early career researchers full EBMLive delegate registration travel & accommodation funded by the McCall MacBain Foundation (MMF). They are offering ten early career researchers the opportunity to present at EBMLive 2019 in a dedicated session. Application Deadline March 31st. To learn more and apply, click here!

Register here for the event!

Feel free to share this with colleagues at your site and please contact me directly if you have any questions.

Register for the event here!