We've been meaning to share more about CHIME, our tablet-based system for helping our clinic work far more effectively as it's been an interesting journey from idea to deployment.
Read moreFamily Physicians and Children - A "Sticky" Situation
Credit: Leeroy
Having children is a part of life. It's trite to say that it's never easy for any parent, but our perspective is that it's particularly difficult to manage for family physicians in the community for a number of reasons.
Read moreShining a Spotlight on our Art: Spa-on-the-Canvas
Magenta Health is proud to feature the original art of flutist and music producer Laura Nashman – 21 original pieces grace our reception area, hallways, and examination rooms.
Read moreMake Your Day Harder
We understand that people live busy lives and that’s it’s hard to find time for physical activity. That’s why we like to promote small changes and small adjustments. They are easier to start and have a greater chance of sticking!
Read more#TuesdayTechTips - Internet Based Faxing: The Hack that Works - @SRFAX
How does your doctor get compensated?
Credit: Luis Llerena
A question occasionally arises as to how Magenta Health physicians are compensated by OHIP for the medical care that they provide.
Read more#TUESDAYTECHTIPS - Size isn't Everything with Computer Monitors - Korean IPS Monitors
If you spend all day staring at a monitor, we strongly believe that it’s worth getting one suitable for your needs. Chefs take care of their knives, surgeons have fancy spider robots, family doctors - we probably use a computer more than any other tool.
Read moreWhy Doctors are Late - The Top 3 Reasons
One of the most common frustrations for patients is when their doctor is late for an appointment. This is something that we try to minimize as much as possible, but unfortunately, we don't have a way to entirely eliminate this problem.
Nevertheless, we're believers in being transparent when it comes to issues such as this. If we can't fully solve the problem, at least we can try to communicate why this is happening, and what we're doing to minimize this problem.
Read moreAddressing Barriers to Health Care with Technology
The relationship between our technology use and patient communication policies, and our ability to care for patients who have limited access to technology is a thorny issue. Providing accessible health care is one of our priorities, so our use of technology is something that we grappled with at length prior to proceeding as we have.
Read more#TUESDAYTECHTIPS - How to connect to @voipms using @CounterPath, @Obihai, or @GrandstreamNet technology
Credit: Wilfred Iven
To follow up on last week's post discussing phone systems and VoIP generally, the obvious question is what physical technology is needed to use a feature-rich VoIP provider such as voip.ms
Read moreThe Start of a Series - #TuesdayTechTips - Phone Systems & VoIP
As a technology focused clinic, we're oftentimes asked by other small businesses and start-ups for technology related recommendations. Sometimes it's health care related; sometimes it's not.
This is the start of #TuesdayTechTips - a series of weekly (*hopefully) posts where we'll share our research and experiences.
Read moreShould I get a Shingles shot? ...it depends...
From Stocksnap
Over the past week, several of my middle age and elderly patients have requested prescriptions for a Shingles vaccine (Zostavax). There is a lot of marketing (complete with fiery burning barbed wire around a body) about the vaccine so I think it is important to understand the limitations of the vaccine before proceeding.
Read moreWhy do we ask patients for their OHIP number?
We're occasionally asked why we request OHIP numbers as part of our online registration process.
As physicians at Magenta Health are family doctors who provide ongoing, long-term primary care for enrolled patients, they are unable to enroll patients who do not have valid OHIP coverage; this includes patients who are only covered by another provincial health plan, or by third-party insurance. (read more here).
We therefore ask patients to supply their OHIP number upfront, as part of the initial online registration process, so that we can validate and confirm this information with the Ontario Government. This step usually takes a couple days, but it prevents the situation of patients taking time out of their busy day to come to the clinic, only to find out once they arrive that their OHIP has expired or is otherwise invalid, and that they will not be able to complete their appointment with a physician.
The Toronto Health Tech Ecosystem
One of the advantages of living and working in downtown Toronto is the vibrancy of its technology start-up ecosystem. Everywhere we turn, it feels like we bump into a different start-up working to improve some aspect of our day-to-day lives, particular in health-care.
Read moreMelanoma is as easy as ABCDE
Warmer weather is just around the corner, and so should our vigilance for sun protection and skin cancer. There are several types of skin cancers, but malignant melanoma is the most fatal form of them all as it can invade through the skin and spread throughout the body. Fortunately though, early detection results in a high cure rate (about 90%), which is why we will go over the ABCDEs of melanomas.
Read moreSecuring Communications using HTTPS
Source: Luis Llerena
Bullying in Toronto Schools: A Worrisome Trend
This image was created by 18-year-old Mary Anne Marcondes. Visit her site for more of her work and her series on bullying.
A Toronto Public Health Survey of 6,053 Grade 7-12 students across Toronto’s four public boards showed that 20% or 1 in 5 students reported having being bullied in the 2014 school year. This number is of public health concern, as bullying can lead to long-term negative emotional and physical consequences.
Read moreWhat languages are spoken at Magenta Health?
Having the ability to clearly communicate with your family doctor is critical. Here's how our approach to helping patients who don't necessarily speak English fluently.
Read morePit Stop
Check out what our architects have been up to! Their design “Pit Stop” won an OAA (Ontario Association of Architects) award for a transit facility in the Town of Oakville. Check out their other work here. Elementary schools have never been this stylish. Congratulations Bortolotto!
Why it’s important to have a family doctor
Photo by Alicja Colon
We’re often asked, “If I’m healthy, why do I need a family doctor?”
Most people recognize the critical role a family doctor plays in the management of ongoing medical conditions (like high blood pressure or diabetes), but it can be difficult for fit and healthy people to understand the importance of having a family physician, especially if they are rarely sick or have no family history of major illnesses. However, it’s vital to remember that your family doctor’s job goes far beyond treating you when you’re not feeling well.
Most important is the continuity of care that is unavailable at walk-in clinics or the emergency room. Put simply, if your doctor knows what’s normal for you, they’re better equipped to determine what’s not normal for you. An established relationship means you’re not rehashing the same details each time you make an appointment and your doctor will be there to follow up with you on an ongoing basis to ensure everything is proceeding as normal. Follow-ups at walk-in clinics or the emergency room often require the patient to recount their medical history for a new doctor that is unfamiliar with their case or concerns.
An emergency room doctor or a physician at a walk-in clinic is also at a disadvantage because they don’t know you on a personal level and therefore may not be able to offer you advice or recommendations that mesh with your lifestyle. A family doctor treats the patient as a whole, not just their physical symptoms. Care can be provided that takes into account a patient’s physical, psychosocial, and emotional well-being, and offers care and recommendations that are tailored to you, your lifestyle and your values.
Whether a patient is young or old, a family doctor’s best tool is preventative medicine, which is rarely discussed during visits to the emergency room or walk-in clinics. This is because although preventative health recommendations are of vital importance, they are hardly the most pressing or urgent of concerns when a patient seeks medical help from an emergency care provider. Family doctors are the primary resource for preventative health care and can help prevent problems before they occur.
Your family doctor can be a trusted health adviser who plays an important role in your physical, emotional, and mental health, so it's important that everyone finds a family doctor that they feel comfortable working with and can rely on for care in the long-term.