July

There are significant inequities in the delivery of palliative health care between rural and urban populations in British Columbia. These inequities have, like many other areas of health care, been amplified by the current pandemic.

The GPSC Long-Term Care Initiative (LTCI) recently reported significant improvement in the medical care of BC seniors who are in long-term care facilities since it was created in 2015.[1] The LTCI was formed through a partnership between the GPSC, divisions of family practice, health authorities, long-term care facilities, and the Ministry of Health.

Chronic shoulder pain is a significant musculoskeletal burden on society, and rotator cuff pathology is the most common cause of shoulder disability. Between 2015 and 2019, over 1400 surgeries were performed on BC workers for rotator cuff pathology. The prevalence of rotator cuff disease increases with age, but it is often not alone in generating shoulder pain. Patients—and sometimes physicians—may question why surgery for a rotator cuff tear involves a procedure addressing the long head of the biceps (LHB) tendon.

World Hepatitis Day, acknowledged on 28 July, provides an opportunity to reflect on BC’s journey toward achieving the World Health Organization’s target of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Treatment for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is well tolerated and can achieve cure rates greater than 95% after 8 to 12 weeks. Treatment is free for anyone with PharmaCare coverage and is not dependent on fibrosis stage.