CFP Podcast

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Rourke Baby Record (RBR), a tool first developed by Drs. James and Leslie Rourke in their family practice in Goderich, ON to help them better care for babies and toddlers in their practice. The first version of the RBR was published in Canadian Family Physician in 1985 and since its initial publication it has gone on to be widely used in family medicine and primary care practices in Canada and around the world. Since its inception, Canadian Family Physician has published regular updates to the RBR. Join Editor Dr. Nick Pimlott as he interviews Dr. Imaan Bayoumi and Dr. Leslie Rourke about the most recent important updates to the Rourke Baby Record (https://www.cfp.ca/content/cfp/71/9/553.full.pdf). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how commonly prescribed medications are manufactured and distributed, eventually making their way to your friendly neighborhood pharmacist and ready for you to prescribe? Have you ever wondered what the environmental and climate impacts are? Find out in this episode of the CFP Podcast as Editor Dr. Nick Pimlott and Associate Editor Dr. David Ponka talk to family physician Dr. Myles Sergeant and engineer Harjas Kaur. Along with their colleagues Fiona Parascandalo, Gail Krantzberg, Emma Ko, Neha Mathur, Amandot Singh Gill and Falisha Razack they are the co-authors of a unique and innovative research study published in the April edition of CFP entitled “Journey of a Pill”.Dr. Myles Sergeant is a family physician in the Hamilton Family Health Team and a Clinical Assistant Professor at McMaster University in Hamilton. He is also the McMaster University PGME Sustainable Healthcare Lead, the President of Trees for Hamilton (www.treesforhamilton.ca), the Partnership Lead for PEACH (www.peachhealthontario.com ) and the Executive Director of Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care (www.greenhealthcare.ca). Harjas Kaur is an Engineer and Sustainability Consultant now based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.To read their novel and important paper go to: https://www.cfp.ca/content/71/4/263. Enjoy the podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The June 2025 issue of Canadian Family Physician is a special research-themed issue dedicated to the current crisis in family medicine in Canada and ways to address the many challenges – from ensuring that family medicine remains an attractive and rewarding career choice for medical students to placing the needs of patients at the heart of any future redesign of our primary health care system.  Join CFP Editor Dr. Nick Pimlott and Associate Editor Dr. David Ponka as they interview Dr. Tara Kiran and discuss the importance of putting patients’ needs at the center of primary care reform in Canada. Dr. Kiran is the lead author on a paper published in the June issue of the journal entitled “Public priorities for primary care in Canada - Report on insights and actionable recommendations from 5 provincial reference panels”. Listeners can read the article in full here:  (https://www.cfp.ca/content/71/6/396). Dr. Kiran is the Fidani Chair in Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto and Vice-Chair of Quality and Innovation at the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She practices family medicine at the St. Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team (SMHAFHT) in downtown Toronto. She is also an Associate Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Dr. Kiran is the host of her own podcast called “Primary Focus” which we encourage our listeners to check out here: https://www.primaryfocus.ca/. Enjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian Family Physician is pleased to bring listeners the last “Planet Family Doc" Podcasts hosted by Dr Clayton Dyck. “Planet Family Doc” is a production of the Besrour Center, formerly at the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In a two-part podcast Dr Dyck interviews Dr Sonia Tsukagoshi about integrative medicine.  Dr Tsukagoshi is a family physician practicing in London, UK. She is the former EYFDM (European Young Doctors) Liaison Officer and the former Chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) Junior International Committee (JIC). She has completed a Masters in Medical Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Dr Tsukagoshi is the Chair of the WONCA special interest group on integrative medicine. In part two Dr Dyck and Dr Tsukagoshi discuss some of the difficult questions around integrative medicine – from how to address the spectrum of opinion, engender trust in patients, evaluate and share the evidence and avoid appropriation from different cultural traditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian Family Physician is pleased to bring listeners the last “Planet Family Doc" Podcasts hosted by Dr Clayton Dyck. “Planet Family Doc” is a production of the Besrour Center, formerly at the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In a two-part podcast Dr Dyck interviews Dr Sonia Tsukagoshi about integrative medicine.  Dr Tsukagoshi is a family physician practicing in London, UK. She is the former EYFDM (European Young Doctors) Liaison Officer and the former Chair of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) Junior International Committee (JIC). She has completed a Masters in Medical Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Dr Tsukagoshi is the Chair of the WONCA special interest group on integrative medicine. In part one Dr Dyck and Dr Tsukagoshi discuss what integrative medicine is, what it is not, and how it differs around the globe. They discuss the fascinating origins of her interest in traditional and integrative medicine, her journey to practicing it and why it can be a natural fit for family medicine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this two-part “Planet Family Doc” podcast Dr Clayton Dyck interviews Dr Jane Philpott about her new book “Health For All” and her life-long work to make health care more socially accountable and to strengthen primary care. In part 2 of the podcast Dr Dyck and Dr Philpott discuss more personal issues such as the role of spiritual health in maintaining resilience as a physician in the Canadian context; why family physicians make for great leaders; and her advice to young family physicians interested in developing their leadership skills. Finally, Dr Philpott gives her recommendation on what to bring to the “Planet Family Doc” potluck dinner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this two-part “Planet Family Doc” podcast Dr Clayton Dyck interviews Dr Jane Philpott about her new book “Health For All” and her life-long work to make health care more socially accountable and to strengthen primary care. In part 1 of the podcast Dr Dyck and Dr Phillpott discuss her work as the Dean in the Faculty of Medicine at Queen’s University, the ways to strengthen primary care in Canada by considering our current challenges, but also the things we can learn by looking globally at other primary care systems. They also discuss how Dr Philpott’s experience as a politician has influenced the work she is doing now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Editor Dr Nick Pimlott and Deputy Editor Dr Sarah Fraser for their year-end review of some of the best and most interesting content in Canadian Family Physician for 2024. Sarah and Nick each chose half a dozen (okay, well Nick cheats just a bit) of their favorite articles to review and discuss why they think they are a worth a second look for CFP readers. Together the articles cover everything from practical clinical content, to research, to more reflective commentary and interviews. Below are the links to the articles Nick and Sarah discussed: https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/1/10 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/5/325 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/7-8/476 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/4/259 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/10/617 https://cfppodcast.libsyn.com/quality-of-mind-an-interview-with-the-2023-ian-mcwhinney-lecturer-dr-iona-heath https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/7-8/491 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/3/212 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/5/303 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/1/7 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/11-12/689 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/5/329 https://www.cfp.ca/content/70/11-12/753 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is virtual care?  What are the different types? Are some forms of virtual care better than others, depending on whether it is through the public or private system? In this CFP podcast, Dr Sarah Fraser and Dr Nick Pimlott interview Dr Sheryl Spithoff. She is the lead author of an important Commentary in our combined November-December issue, entitled “A typology of virtual primary care in Canada: making the implications clear”. Co-authors of the article were Dr Ewan Affelck and Dr Lindsay Hedden.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a family medicine teacher or Program Director, have you ever had a highly capable resident learner fail the Simulated Office Oral (SOO) portion of the CCFP examination? Have you ever wondered why that might happen? In the September CFP Podcast, Editor Dr Nick Pimlott interviews Dr Kendall Noel from the University of Ottawa about his article in the September issue of the journal entitled Perennial post-examination surprises. Together they take a deep dive into Dr Noel’s work on clinical reasoning, dual process theory and his hypothesis that “the intermediate effect” might account for the perennial exam surprise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever heard of graphic medicine? Have you wondered what is the difference between a comic and a cartoon? And how is this related to your work in the clinic? In this episode of the CFP podcast, Drs Nick Pimlott and Sarah Fraser interview author Susan MacLeod about all things graphic medicine. We dive into Susan’s professional experiences in government health communications and her transition into becoming an internationally acclaimed author. She then defines graphic medicine, gives us an overview of why it’s important, and how it relates to compassion and burnout in the health care system. Finally, Susan walks Nick and Sarah through a brief graphic medicine exercise-do try this at home! https://www.graphicmedicine.org/book-series/graphic-medicine-manifesto/ https://conundrumpress.com/product/dying-for-attention/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the CFP Podcast, join Deputy Editor Dr Sarah Fraser and Editor Dr Nick Pimlott in a wide-ranging discussion about health data, health informatics and digital health with Dr Rashaad Bhyat, a family physician and Senior Clinical Leader at the Centre for Clinical Innovation in Digital Health, a branch of Canada Health Infoway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When are sleep aids indicated? What is the evidence behind melatonin? Why do sedatives put patients at risk for pneumonia? Learn all this and more in this week’s episode of the CFP Podcast. Drs Sarah Fraser and Nick Pimlott interview two pharmacists about the topic of insomnia and deprescribing sedatives. Dr David Gardner is a pharmacist and the Director of Research in Community Psychiatry at Dalhousie University and Dr. Stephanie Lynch is a pharmacist with a Family Health Team in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s University in Belleville, Ontario. In this podcast, the guests share their expertise on the topic of insomnia. Topics covered range from the evidence on the effectiveness of sedatives, important side effects of these drugs, and approaches to deprescribing them for your patients. Below you can find links to two of the resources mentioned by the guests: https://mysleepwell.ca/ https://healthsci.queensu.ca/opdes/cpd/educational-programs-opportunities/insomnia   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join CFP Editor, Dr. Nick Pimlott, and Deputy Editor, Dr. Sarah Fraser, as they interview Dr. Allan Peterkin on the release of the 25th anniversary edition of the book “Staying Human During Residency Training: How to Survive and Thrive after Medical School”, which he co-authored with Dr. Derek Puddester. They discuss topics ranging from the pervasiveness of burnout in medicine, the value of the medical humanities and narrative medicine, continuing to find meaning in medicine, and why the book, now in its seventh edition, remains a valuable resource on being and staying well, not just for residents, but for all physicians. Dr. Peterkin is a Professor of psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Toronto, where he founded the Program in Health, Arts and Humanities. He is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Psychiatric Association and Senior Fellow at Massey College, co-founder of Creating Space-Canada’s annual medical humanities meeting, a co-founder of the award-winning Canadian literary journal Ars Medica, and has been a humanities editorial consultant to CMAJ and Medical Humanities (BMJ). Links to Drs. Peterkin and  Puddester’s book can be found at https://utorontopress.com/9781487555474/staying-human-during-residency-training/. More information about Dr. Peterkin’s work in narrative medicine can be found at https://narrativebasedmedicine.ca/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join CFP Deputy Editor, Dr. Sarah Fraser, and Editor, Dr. Nick Pimlott, as they interview Dr. Samantha Green and Dr. Ilona Hale about the concept of planetary health and the role that family doctors can and must play in ensuring it. Dr. Green is an academic family doctor in Toronto and the President-Elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). Dr. Hale is a rural family physician in Kimberley, BC with a longstanding interest in and commitment to planetary health. The interview is based on a Commentary that Drs. Green and Hale co-authored with Dr. Meghan Davis and Dr. Jessica Nowlan entitled “Planetary health lens for primary care: considering environmental stability offers benefits to patients and providers” in the April issue of Canadian Family Physician. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join CFP Editor Dr. Nick Pimlott as he interviews Dr. Alan Katz and Dr. Alex Singer, family physicians and family medicine researchers at the Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. Dr. Katz is a Professor in the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Family Medicine. Dr. Singer is an Associate Professor and the Director for the Office of Research & Quality Improvement, and the Director of the Manitoba Primary Care Research Network. The interview is based on a Commentary article in the March issue of the journal entitled “The Future of Family Medicine in Canada”. Together they discuss four key ways to address the current crisis in Canadian family medicine to strengthen primary care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr Sarah Fraser interviews Dr Shayna Watson about CBT for insomnia. They delve into the ins and outs of a non-pharmacologic approach to insomnia management, including the things you can do to help patients in your busy family medicine clinic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Dr. Nick Pimlott and Dr. Sarah Fraser as they interview Dr. Iona Heath, the 2023 Dr. Ian McWhinney Lecturer at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University. Dr. Heath’s McWhinney Lecture was published in the December 2023 issue of the journal. They discuss Dr. Heath’s discovery of Ian McWhinney’s “Quality of Mind” – the title of her lecture – when she first read his Textbook of Family Medicine as a young general practitioner, his lifelong influence on her thinking and practice, and how his ideas about the essential values of family medicine can help guide the profession through one of most challenging periods in its recent history. Dr. Heath’s September 20th, 2023 Dr. Ian McWhinney Lecture can accessed here: https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/familymedicine/about_us/dr_ian_mcwhinney_lecture_series/2023.html The published lecture can be accessed here: https://www.cfp.ca/content/cfp/69/12/821.full.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Dr Nick Pimlott for this episode of the CFP Podcast as he interviews Alex Crawley and Amy Soubolsky from the Rx Files Academic Detailing Program in Saskatchewan about the management of difficult-to-treat depression in primary care. The interview is based on an article published in the November issue of the journal entitled “Thoughtful prescribing for difficult to treat depression”. Mr. Crawley and Ms. Soubolsky are co-authors of the article with their colleague Jessica Visentin. Together they discuss a case-based careful step wise approach to this challenging area of clinical practice.     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Drs Nick Pimlott and Sarah Fraser as they co-host this CFP podcast on the new PEER Simplified Lipid Guideline: 2023 Update. They interview Dr Mike Kolber, lead author on the paper, which is published in October’s issue of the journal. They discuss the process of how he and his team developed these guidelines, and they take a deep dive into the evidence behind dyslipidemia screening, prevention, and treatment. Read the guidelines in English: https://www.cfp.ca/content/69/10/675. Access the guidelines in French: https://www.cfp.ca/content/69/10/e189. Check out the systematic review that informed the guidelines: https://www.cfp.ca/content/69/10/701. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.