CMAJ News Briefly National health leaders push for col - Harper’s absence at the premiers’ meet - ommended that a single body be laboration: Leaders from three ing and called for a renewed health assigned the task of coordinating regu - national health care organizations urged accord. — Catherine Cross, CMAJ lation of social media content, states the the country’s provinces and territories report Addressing the Growth of Social to continue working toward a pan- Life after cancer: The United Kingdom Media and Tackling Cyberbullying . Of Canadian collaboration to address the is “woefully underprepared” to help the particular concern are cyberbullying, quality, safety and sustainability of growing number of people who have online harassment, exposure to unsuit - Canada’s health system. The Canadian survived cancer, as some half a million able violent and sexual material and the Nurses Association, the Canadian Med - face disability and poor health after decline of real social interaction. The ical Association and the Health Action treatment ends, a report by Macmillan report makes a number of recommenda - Lobby met July 24 with two premiers Cancer Support warns. The Cured — but tions, including discouraging children from the Council of the Federation, at what cost? report reveals that one in below the allowable age from opening which consists of the 13 provincial and four people diagnosed with cancer — social media accounts, incorporating territorial premiers. The three health some 500 000 in the UK — experience a topics such as cyberbullying and inap - organizations were addressing the wide range of debilitating health condi - propriate use of social media into child efforts of the Council’s Health Care tions caused by the disease or its treat - protection guidelines and placing more Innovation Working Group, which aims ment, including chronic fatigue, sexual emphasis on educating parents, teachers to find and promote shared elements in difficulties, mental health problems, uri - and children on how to safely use social the provinces’ and territories’ health nary and gastrointestinal problems, and media. “There is no doubt that social care systems. In a joint news release, lymphedema. Many of these problems media has immense potential for public the three groups say that while they can persist for at least 10 years after good and civic engagement and the “applaud the pan-Canadian collabora - treatment. The report also estimates that Committee’s primary concern was to tive approach” of the working group, its about 200 000 people who have sur - ensure that it does so without impacting work is not done. “The public needs to vived cancer are left with pain, often as a adversely on people’s individual hear how the next phase of work will result of nerve changes after surgery, rights,” committee vice-chairman John improve health outcomes for Canadi - radiotherapy or chemotherapy. “If we do O’Ma hony said in a press release. ans,” said CMA president Dr. Anna not tackle this issue head on, more and “Underpinning our recommendations is Reid. They urge care providers and more people will continue to suffer in the need for a more coordinated governments to make a multiyear com - silence or, if they do speak up, have approach to tackling the irresponsible mitment to collaborate and improve unhelpful consultations,” Jane Maher, use of social media channels which health care. — Catherine Cross, CMAJ chief medical officer at Macmillan Can - spans State departments and agencies cer Support, stated in the report. The and the social media companies them - Romanow says Harper should talk support network of care providers, advo - selves.” — Roger Collier, CMAJ health with premiers: Prime Minister cates and fundraisers provides practical, Stephen Harper needs to meet with medical and financial support, and advo - Mediocre medicine: A review of 14 Canada’s premiers to talk about health cates for better cancer care. It is urging hospital trusts in the United Kingdom care, Roy Romanow told CBC News the National Health Service to offer a with high mortality rates indicates the on July 23. Romanow is the former “cancer recovery package” to all patients organizations “have been trapped in Saskatchewan Premier who led the at the end of their treatment, in addi - mediocrity,” according to Dr. Bruce Commission on the Future of Health tion to any required specialist services. Keogh, medical director of the National Care in Canada, which submitted its The report also calls for earlier identifi - Health Service (NHS). “We found recommendations in 2002. Cooperation cation of patients experiencing or at pockets of excellent practice in all 14 of between the first ministers is of greater risk of long-term effects of cancer, and the trusts reviewed. However, we also concern than the amount of money in better reporting of those conditions in found significant scope for improve - health transfers, he said. The premiers patient medical records. — Lauren ment, with each needing to address an met at Niagara-on-the-Lake July 24 for Vogel, CMAJ urgent set of actions in order to raise the Council of the Federation’s summer standards of care,” Keogh wrote in an meeting. The current health accord is Social media and mental health: Inap - overview report of his review. Themes set to expire in 2014, prompting con - propriate use of social media is having a identified as relevant to improving the cern from some public health organiza - negative effect on the mental health of quality of care in the entire health care tions and advocates. The Council of Irish youth, according to the Parliament system include genuinely listening to Canadians, for example, protested of Ireland. A joint committee has rec - patients and staff on how to improve © 2013 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors CMAJ, September 3, 2013, 185(12) E577 News services, using data to drive quality which explored the story of how many ment and to the Minister of Labour. To improvement, grasping the complexity people came to believe vaccines were maintain her surgical credentials, of interpreting aggregate measures of associated with autism, chastised the Leitch volunteers her services at the mortality, recruiting high-quality staff to ABC television network for giving its Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario isolated areas and changing the mindset “imprimatur to someone who has (CHEO) in Ottawa. The hospital’s about using transparency for purposes worked, methodically and relentlessly, CEO, Alex Munter, took to Twitter to of support and improvement rather than to undermine public health.” Other congratulate Leitch on her appoint - blame. — Roger Collier, CMAJ pub lications expressing alarm include ment. “Makes history as 1st CHEO doc Forbes (“Jenny McCarthy Is A Danger - appointed to cabinet,” tweeted Munter. Air ambulance review: An expert ous Medical Celebrity”), Time (“Viruses “Never had to organize OR [operating panel review of 40 deaths in Ontario Don’t Care About Your View: Why room] sked around cabinet meetings that involved Ornge air ambulance ABC Shouldn’t Have Hired Jenny before.” — Roger Collier, CMAJ transport found that five cases were pos - McCarthy”) and Salon (“Dear ABC: sibly impacted by operational issues, Putting Jenny McCarthy on “The New health minister: Canadian one was probably impacted and two View” will kill children”). — Roger Member of Parliament Rona Ambrose were definitely impacted, according to Collier, CMAJ (Edmonton–Spruce Grove, Alberta) is the Office of the Chief Coroner for Canada’s new Minister of Health. Ontario. These findings were released in Digital diapers: A new sensor-embed - Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a report, Review of Ornge Air Ambu - ded diaper can track infant health and the announcement on Twitter on Mon - lance Transport Related Deaths. The alerts parents when to call a doctor. The day, July 15, as part of his cabinet operational issues that contributed to diapers developed by Pixie Scientific shuffle. Ambrose will be leaving her these outcomes fell into eight cate - feature a QR code that changes colour roles as Minister of Public Works and gories: decision-making, response when wet. Parents can scan the codes Government Services and Minister for process, international transports, com - using a companion smartphone app, the Status of Women. “I am looking munication, aircraft/equipment, staffing, which analyzes the data to measure risk forward to serving Canadians as Min - paramedic training/education/certification for urinary tract infection, dehydration ister of Heath,” tweeted Ambrose. and investigation/quality insurance. To and kidney problems. The app tracks First elected to parliament in 2004, prevent deaths in similar circumstances results over time and tells parents when Ambrose became the youngest woman in the future, the panel made 25 recom - to contact a pediatrician. Pixie Scien - ever appointed to cabinet upon becom - mendations, including improving coordi - tific predicts the diapers will eliminate ing the Minister of the Environment in nation of decision-making around mode some of the messier elements of moni - 2006. Outgoing health minister Leona of transport for interfacility transfers, toring the health of children with Aglukkaq has a new job as Minister upgrading communication technology, chronic kidney problems, including of the Environment. “From coast to developing new education programs and manually squeezing diaper contents coast to coast, Canada is a beautiful materials and reviewing policies, proce - onto urine