Author profile
Romayne Gallagher, MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP
Many physicians will admit to experiencing stress and frustration when navigating the health care system on behalf of a patient—a system that we know and work with daily! Now imagine that you are not a trained health... Read More
Dr Romayne Gallagher As I walked to his bedside I was struck by the calmness in his eyes despite the gaunt cheeks, the emaciated body, and the struggle of accessory breathing muscles... Read More
In the middle of last century, British psychiatrist John Hinton documented the medical deficiencies in end-of-life care: “We emerge deserving of little credit, we who are capable of ignoring the conditions which make... Read More
On 6 February 2015 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Section 241 of the Criminal Code, prohibiting assistance with the death of a person, was void for a “competent adult person…who clearly consents to the... Read More
“It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than what sort of a disease a patient has.” —William Osler Multimorbidity is the new normal in hospital. It seems almost rare to meet a patient... Read More
Prevalence of pain, particularly severe disabling pain, is greater in the older adult population than in the general population.[1,2] Research suggests that pain-related disability may be due to a diminished ability to... Read More
Case 1: A 77-year-old man A 77-year-old man with diabetes, cardiac disease, and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) develops a bleeding colorectal cancer. He is high risk for surgery and decides to forgo it... Read More
I have appreciated the geriatric articles including Dr Chan’s review of delirium [BCMJ 2011;53:409-415]. My concern is that the article made no mention of pain as a cause of delirium. The article notes... Read More
“I want to be resuscitated but I don’t want to be on machines.” “Do you want us to do everything for your father?” Having conversations about whether to attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is complex, as... Read More
“ Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions. But health literacy goes beyond the... Read More