Sutures, the threads designed to close wounds and promote healing, have been used for thousands of years, having originated in ancient Egypt. Since their invention, physicians and scientists have experimented with a wide array of materials, from hemp and cotton to more modern synthetic fibres. New techniques have been developed[Read More…]
Tag: healthcare
Sick and tired: How the medical field neglects women’s health
Compassion and respect towards patients are essential to delivering effective healthcare. Despite advances made by activists and patients alike, the medical field perpetuates its extensive history of sexism, putting women’s lives and well-being at risk. From dismissive doctors to inadequate research, the healthcare gender bias prevents women from receiving the[Read More…]
Quebec’s denial of systemic racism impedes progress
On March 17, La Presse reported that a Saint-Eustache hospital had posted job placements for “white only” personal attendants. According to the hospital, a “difficult” patient that refused treatment by non-white individuals, prompted officials to search for a white orderly to cater to the patient’s preferences. Such discriminatory job postings[Read More…]
Exploring how artificial intelligence could redefine health care
Before Siri and Alexa, programmers created Eliza. Developed in 1964, Eliza was the first chatbot capable of recreating conversations between a psychotherapist and a patient. This chatbot pushed the boundaries of artificial intelligence (AI), a still-emerging field at the time, into the domain of health care. Despite researcher’s best efforts,[Read More…]
Department of Family Medicine introduces new Inuit health module
McGill’s Department of Family Medicine is developing a course that aims to help doctors and researchers understand Inuit perspectives on healthcare that they expect to be open for enrollment by the Fall of 2021. Spearheading the development of this new Inuit health module is recently appointed associate professor of Family[Read More…]
COVID-19 prompts rise in digital health services
The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe is drastically changing the ways in which people approach work, play, education, and, of course, healthcare. In light of the outbreak, routine checkups have begun to shift online to relieve overcrowded hospitals and reduce opportunities for infection. This style of remote healthcare—termed telehealth or[Read More…]
The Wellness Hub needs more than a makeover
Only four months after its official opening, the Student Wellness Hub has received frustrated criticisms, including a recent tweet by a student expressing disappointment about having his appointment rescheduled despite waiting over 80 days to meet with a therapist. Even after receiving a $14 million donation for the Hub, McGill[Read More…]
Addressing LGBTQ+ needs in healthcare
At their recent panel on Feb. 25, Healthy McGill and the Nursing Peer Mentorship Program hosted a collaborative forum to address LGBTQ+ needs in healthcare. “Over 50 per cent of trans people say they are not comfortable going and getting healthcare services and, of people that needed emergency care in[Read More…]
Politicized care: Indigenous ways of knowing in healthcare
McGill Nurses for Global Health hosted a panel of indigenous healthcare professionals and community members on Jan. 17 to discuss the importance of integrating indigenous understandings of health into care. Megan Eaker, a McGill Nursing master’s student and woman of mixed Cree and European ancestry, opened the event by offering[Read More…]
Prioritizing culture and colour in mental health services
On Jan. 30, many McGill students’ social media feeds will overflow with posts tagged with #BellLetsTalk. An initiative started by the telecommunications company to increase awareness about mental health, Bell’s “Let’s Talk” event is a day when people can use their social media platforms to raise money for mental health[Read More…]