Supports for physicians

The following clinical resources cover a wide variety of topics.

General clinical resources

• Alberta Human Rights Commission: Medical and other professional services
  Information about how to deliver care in a non-discriminatory way. The Alberta Human Rights Act protects members of the public against discrimination when using professional services.
• Alberta Rural Health Professions Action Plan
  RhPAP is a collaborative partner and trusted advocate for rural Alberta communities trying to achieve greater access to health care.
• Cochrane Library
  Independent evidence for health care decision making
• CMA Joule™ – A Canadian Medical Association company
  Achieve clinical excellence with virtual care tools, clinical resources, professional development courses and innovation grants provided by Joule™, a Canadian Medical Association company. Joule offers member incentives that can save thousands of dollars in subscription fees every year.
• Toward Optimized Practice: Clinical Practice Guidelines 
  TOP helps Alberta physicians and their teams implement evidence-based practices to enhance the care of their patients.

Specific aspects of care

Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH)

• Application Part B – Medical Report for physicians, how-to guides and Application Part A – Applicant Information for patients, and more.

Asbestos

• Alberta’s Occupational Health & Safety Code sets out specific requirements for the health assessment for asbestos-related disease and for a 30-year retention period for health-assessment records.
  Read Part 4 (section 40) of the Occupational Health & Safety Code (2009) or visit:
  Review Physician’s Guide to Occupational Health and Safety Responsibilities (CPSA), pages 62-63
• More information about treating patients with reported or suspected asbestos exposure:
  Review Health Care for Patients with Exposure to Asbestos (Memorial University) 

Continuity of care

• After Hours Support for Continuity of Care: A few good ideas for meeting the Standard of Care

Driving

• CMA Driver’s Guide: Determining Medical Fitness to Operate Motor Vehicles
  A guide to help physicians determine patients' medical fitness to drive:

End of Life & Palliative

• Advanced Care Planning / Goals of Care designation - Resources, tools and information for patients and doctors on advanced care planning and goals of care designation.
• Living My Culture - Quality palliative care helps patients honour their culture, spirituality and traditions. At LivingMyCulture.ca, people from various cultures share their stories and wisdom about living with serious illness, end of life and grief to support others. These narratives empower and support patients and families and serve as a rich educative tool for health providers wishing to improve the delivery of culturally safe and inclusive care.
• MyGrief.ca is an online support for people working through grief and loss or supporting someone who is grieving. MyGrief.ca is also an educative tool for those working in health care.

Medication use

• Do Bugs Need Drugs?
  Comprehensive evidence-based information for the appropriate use of antibiotics and the optimal treatment and prevention of infectious diseases:
• Optimized Prescribing with Seniors (OPS) 
  A joint communication of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA), these articles are written by physicians for physicians prescribing in the care of older patients.
• MedEffect™ Canada: Health Canada adverse reaction reporting
  Health professionals can report adverse reactions (also known as side effects) to health products, including prescription and non-prescription medications, biologics, natural health products and radiopharmaceuticals, to the Canada Vigilance Program.
• Methadone for Pain in Palliative Care is a course designed for physicians to improve their knowledge and develop core competencies in methadone prescribing for pain management in palliative care. Visit Methadone4Pain.ca for more information.

Medical cannabis

• CMA medical cannabis policy 
  The CMA has developed a policy as guidance for doctors about the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

Motor vehicles

• CMA Driver’s Guide
  Assists physicians in assessing their patients’ ability to safely operate motor vehicles; including sections on dementia and cognitive impairment and a revised section on reporting.

Opioid safety: Patient resources

• If you prescribe opioid medications, you’re encouraged to help inform and educate your patients with two safety fact sheets developed by the CPSA, working with concerned stakeholder groups, including the AMA:
  • Opioid Safety for Patients with Acute Pain
  • Opioid Safety for Patients with Chronic Pain
• Click here for more patient (A Message to Albertans) and physician resources (Standard - Prescribing: Drugs with Potential for Misuse or Diversion | Physician Prescribing Practices) and information on the safe and responsible prescribing of opioids.

Perinatal health care

• The Alberta Perinatal Health Program (APHP) is a partnership between the AMA, Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health. The program’s quality and innovation core business function is to “Enhance the capacity of Alberta Health Services, health professionals, Alberta Health and other stakeholders to achieve optimal perinatal practice".

Smoking cessation

• pcnACT 
  Find information about treating tobacco use and dependence in primary-care practice.