#conorlavelle

[dlsphjournalism]

QUARTZ--As a doctor, I didn’t think much of acupuncture. Then the opioid crisis arrived

BY CONOR LAVELLE (FGJ ‘18) -  In 1986, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a new visual guide for pain management known as the “pain ladder.” Each rung on the ladder represented a different set of pain medications. On the bottom rung were over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, while opioids like morphine appeared closer to the top. It was a simple, stepwise rubric to help physicians’ streamline their approach to helping patients in pain. READ MORE

[dlsphjournalism]

NATIONAL POST--What’s your doctor reading? How social media is disrupting medical education

BY CONOR LAVELLE (FGJ ‘18) - Dr. Niran Argintaru was in the middle of his shift at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto when a patient who had experienced a brief loss of consciousness was brought into the emergency room. A junior resident he was supervising reviewed the patient’s electrocardiogram (ECG) to rule out a cardiac cause. READ MORE

[dlsphjournalism]

THE WALRUS--How Artificial Intelligence Could Help Hospitals Save Lives

BY CONOR LAVELLE (FGJ ‘18) - In 2016, venture capitalists invested $5 billion in startups involving artificial intelligence, representing a 40 percent increase from 2012. With hopes of securing a foothold in what promises to be a multi-billion dollar industry, some of the most influential companies in the world—including ibm, Apple, and Google—are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into their AI research-and-development labs. Health care in particular has been a favourite target for these investments. Google’s research website states that “machine learning has dozens of possible application areas, but healthcare stands out as a remarkable opportunity to benefit people.” Last year, the tech giant channelled more than 30 percent of its annual venture-capital expenditure into medical technologies, forecasting a future in which computers and machines power our health care system. READ MORE

[dlsphjournalism]

MACLEAN’S--How Ontario is failing to help stop opioid deaths

BY CONOR LAVELLE (FGJ ‘18) - On July 29, 2016, Vancouver Coastal Health, the largest regional health authority in British Columbia, announced that free naloxone kits would soon be available at emergency rooms, detox centres and correctional facilities throughout the Vancouver area. Each kit consists of two vials of naloxone, a pair of devices for opening the vials, two syringes, a pair of gloves and an identifier card for the person carrying the kit. If an overdose occurs, any bystander equipped with a kit can administer naloxone, which blocks the effects of opioids like fentanyl, and perform CPR until paramedics arrive. READ MORE