November 10, 2022

In this issue

• Optimized Prescribing with Seniors: Deprescribing ChEl in LTC residents with progressive dementia

• Does your President's Letter come from a former president?

• User raves about AMA's privacy training

• News from ACFP: Innovation in Addiction Medicine - Dr. Monty Ghosh

• Make a positive impact on Alberta's health care: Join a CPSA committee
• 2022 Tarrant Scholarship: Meet this year's recipients
• TDIMM/AMA Medical Student Bursary: Apply today!
• Financial planning for physicians - why you're different

• Survey Corner:  Calgary Zone Survey: Primary Care Sleep Apnea Clinical Pathway

Deprescribing ChEl in LTC residents with progressive dementia

Case
Mrs. Farley is an 84-year-old living in long-term care. She has a known major neurocognitive disorder secondary to Alzheimer’s Disease and has been on Donepezil 10mg daily for the past eight years. She needs cueing and assistance for most of her basic activities of daily living including washing, dressing and bathing. Her most recent Mini Mental State Examination score was 8/30. Her son would like to have her cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) discontinued to reduce pill burden.

 
Issue
What is the evidence regarding the deprescription of cholinesterase inhibitors in older patients with progressive dementia residing in nursing home? 

Does your President's Letter come from a former president?

Are you seeing the names of past AMA presidents (e.g., Dr. Michelle Warren) in the “From” field when you open your President’s Letter email from Dr. fred Rinaldi?

Unfortunately, this is not something we can fix from our end.

The problem may be in your personal address book, which associates the president@albertadoctors.org email with an earlier president’s name. Here’s how to correct this: Search your personal address book for the older contact linked to president@albertadoctors.org. Delete that contact. Create a new contact called “AMA President” with the email address of president@albertadoctors.org.
 

Praise for AMA's privacy training

Corry, an office manager from a central Alberta family medical clinic, raves about AMA's privacy training as the “absolute best thing that we have ever been provided at a ground level”. 

Developed by AMA privacy experts and Alberta Health, this training covers topics about handling health information, preventing and managing privacy breaches, risks and mitigation strategies, developing privacy impact assessments, and much more!

Physicians can earn up to 7.75 hours of CME or Mainpro+ credits for completing privacy training. Privacy officers and clinic staff will receive a certificate of achievement.

All Alberta community physicians, privacy officers and clinic staff are invited to enrol in privacy training at no cost. Register today and give your team the tools they need to keep your patients information safe and secure to prevent breaches.
 

News from ACFP

Innovation in Addiction Medicine - November 24

Join Dr. Monty Ghosh and others on the last Thursday of the month (November 24) at 7 p.m.

Learn about innovative substance use management programs in community, the latest research in addiction studies, and how to apply best practices and identify areas of improvement. 
 

Make a positive impact on Alberta's

health care: Join a CPSA committee

Find the vacancy that’s right for you and apply today!

At the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, several committees made up of physicians, Albertans and other partners help guide CPSA’s work with their expertise and advice. If you would like to take on an active role in profession-led regulation while gaining experience in governance and leadership, consider applying!

Building Fund Initiatives Working Group 

CPSA is currently seeking at least one member to join the CPSA Building Fund Initiatives Working Group, to support the implementation of the CPSA Healthier Albertan Grant, and the evaluation and reporting of the proposals.

How to apply

To learn more about this opportunity and other CPSA committees with open vacancies, and to apply, visit the Committees page on CPSA’s website.

2022 Tarrant Scholarship: Congratulations

Darcy Belanger and Jesse McDonald

Darcy Bellanger (left) and Jesse McDonald (right)

On October 26 via Zoom, Darcy Bellanger from the University of Alberta and Jezuina (Jesse) McDonald from the University of Calgary were each awarded the 2022 Tarrant Scholarship.
 
The annual Michael Tarrant Scholarship is bestowed each fall by the AMA Section of Rural Medicine. The scholarship funds one year of tuition and related fees for third-year medical students from the U of A and U of C who demonstrate a strong interest in and dedication to rural medicine.

Apply for the 2022-23 TD Insurance Meloche-Monnex/AMA Medical Student Bursary

Online applications are now being accepted for the 2022-23 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex/AMA Medical Student Bursary.

The bursary program helps to reduce financial pressure from escalating medical school tuition fees and is made possible through a significant contribution by TD Insurance Meloche Monnex as well as donations from generous physician members. Funds are apportioned to each Alberta medical school based on the number of students enrolled.

Applications will be accepted until December 31, 2022.

Financial planning for physicians

- why you're different

Sponsored advertisement

A financial plan is the roadmap that guides you to your life goals and lays out how you intend to use your money to reach those goals over time. Physicians and physician households face both unusual challenges and exceptional opportunities in their financial planning: learn how professional guidance can help.

Survey Corner

Health care partners and other organizations often seek physician feedback through surveys. This month, the following is available for your consideration:

Primary Care Sleep Apnea Clinical Pathway

Are you a Calgary and area primary care physician? Share your thoughts on Calgary's new clinical pathway for sleep apnea, whether you have used the pathway or not. Results from this 10-minute survey will guide pathway enhancements. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete, and after completing it, you may enter a prize draw for a chance to win an iPad. For every completed survey $10 will be donated to Alberta Lung. Study approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB21-1978). Questions? Please contact sleepresearch@ucalgary.ca.

Editor's note: "Survey Corner" presents survey requests received and reviewed by the AMA, that may be of interest to our members. We will publish new opportunities as we receive them.

Reminders

Membership renewal
If you have not yet renewed your AMA membership, you may do so on the AMA website. 

Social media training

The AMA is offering its members training in social media:
 

Social Media 201

November 22
5:30-6:30 p.m.
 

View all upcoming events on the AMA website.

Have an event you'd like to promote?

Review our criteria and submit your event.

Recognition Roundup

Below are special dates deserving recognition:

November awareness:
 

- Lung Cancer 

- Movember

- Fall prevention

- National Domestic Violence

Recommend a special date.

Last issue's top stories

- Updated breast cancer screening clinical practice guidelines released in AB

- Connect Care Launch 5

In the November 10
MD Scope Classifieds
you'll find listings for:
 

- CMA Leadership Opportunities

- Physicians wanted

- Locums wanted

- For sale
- Services

More from the AMA

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The opinions expressed in AMA publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Alberta Medical Association, its Board of Directors or members.
 

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