For the month of November we have 5 resources for Respiratory Health!

1. Canadian Journal of Respiratory Therapy.

The CJRT is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal owned and published by the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT), published continuously since 1965.

2. Canadian Thoracic Society. Guideline Library.

3. Chronic respiratory disease in Indigenous peoples: a framework to address inequity and strengthen respiratory health and health care globally. Please request the full-text from mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

Indigenous peoples around the world bear a disproportionate burden of chronic respiratory diseases, which are associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality. Despite the imperative to address global inequity, research focused on strengthening respiratory health in Indigenous peoples is lacking, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Drivers of the increased rates and severity of chronic respiratory diseases in Indigenous peoples include a high prevalence of risk factors (eg, prematurity, low birthweight, poor nutrition, air pollution, high burden of infections, and poverty) and poor access to appropriate diagnosis and care, which might be linked to colonisation and historical and current systemic racism. Efforts to tackle this disproportionate burden of chronic respiratory diseases must include both global approaches to address contributing factors, including decolonisation of health care and research, and local approaches, co-designed with Indigenous people, to ensure the provision of culturally strengthened care with more equitable prioritisation of resources. Here, we review evidence on the burden of chronic respiratory diseases in Indigenous peoples globally, summarise factors that underlie health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, propose a framework of approaches to improve the respiratory health of Indigenous peoples, and outline future directions for clinical care and research.

4. Machealth. Radon.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and is linked to 3,000+ deaths annually. For those who smoke, the lung cancer risk is increased. All homes in Canada have some level of radon – a colourless, odourless, radioactive gas. What matters is how much. Simple home testing and reducing high levels are the key to risk reduction.
Be prepared to discuss the health risks of radon with your patients. Take this free, 15-minute self-paced course designed for primary care providers, specialists, other allied health professionals, and health professions trainees, and access patient and provider resources.

5. NIH. Lung Health Resources.
Learn how the lungs work and how to keep them healthy, and find resources for living with lung conditions such as asthma, COPD, and more.

In support of Breast Cancer Awareness month, here are 5 places to find patient and professional resources on breast cancer.

1. NIH. Breast Cancer – Patient Version – Health Professional Version

2. Systematic Reviews and Guidelines published in the last 5 years on Breast Neoplasms

3. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Guidelines – Breast Cancer.

4. Canadian Breast Cancer Network. Publications & Resources.

5. CDC Cancer. Breast Cancer Awareness.

With Back-to-School in full swing our September 5 on 5 focuses on mental health resources that support children/adolescents as they head back into the classroom.

1. School Mental Health Ontario has a number of resources for parents/caregivers, educators and school mental health professionals.

2. Johns Hopkins Medicine has created Back-to-School Health: Tips for Parents Infographic to support children as they return to school. They also have information on a number of other Back-to-School health topics for kids’ and teens.

3. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have put together a list of resources to help support the mental health of youth and teens as they head back-to-school.

4.“A Scoping Review of Anti-Bullying Interventions: Reducing Traumatic Effect of Bullying Among Adolescents” published in The Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, (January 2024) discusses “interventions to reduce the impact of trauma on bullying victims.”

5. The Canadian Paediatric Society’s position statement on Promoting optimal mental health outcomes for children and youth “describes the key roles and competencies required to assess and address child and youth mental health problems, and the factors that optimize outcomes in this age group.”

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

With the heat of August upon us and the Blu-Green Algae blooming we have 5 sources about Cyanobacteria.

1. Government of Canada. Recreational water and health: Cyanobacteria and their toxins.

2. CDC. Physician Reference for Cyanobacterial Blooms.

3. CDC. Patient care for illnesses caused by harmful algal blooms.

4. WHO. Toxic cyanobacteria in water.

5. NCCEH. Cyanobacteria and drinking water: occurrence, risks, management and knowledge gaps for public health.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

In celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21^st we have 5 resources on Indigenous health.

1. National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health – Resources and Publication

“The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH) is a national Indigenous organization established in 2005 by the Government of Canada and funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis public health renewal and health equity through knowledge translation and exchange. The NCCIH is hosted by the University of Northern BC (UNBC) in Prince George, BC.

2. International Journal of Circumpolar Health

“International Journal of Circumpolar Health (IJCHL) is a peer-reviewed international open access journal that specializes in circumpolar health. The journal has a particular interest in the health of indigenous peoples.  IJCHL is published on behalf of the Circumpolar Health Research Network [CircHNet]. The journal follows the tradition initiated by its predecessor, Arctic Medical Research. The journal aims to share and exchange knowledge among researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and those they serve.”

3. International Journal of Indigenous Health

“The International Journal of Indigenous Health (IJIH) was established to advance knowledge and understanding to improve Indigenous health. The Journal seeks to bring knowledge from diverse intellectual traditions together with a focus on culturally diverse Indigenous voices, methodologies and epistemology. The Journal is peer-reviewed, online, open-access and shares innovative health research across disciplines, Indigenous communities, and countries.  Building on its trusted reputation for sharing community-relevant and high-quality knowledge, the IJIH welcomes submissions within the IJIH mandate from researchers and practitioners in Indigenous health around the world.”

4. Open Polar.

Open Polar is a database of open-access research data and publications about the polar regions of the world. “OPEN POLAR is a joint project between the University of Tromsø – the Arctic University of Norway and the Norwegian Polar Institute. The University Library (UB) hosts the project.”

5. First Nations Information Governance Centre.

“FNIGC is responsible for a wide range of work, from research and planning to surveys, capacity development, education, and training. Our foundational work is the development and administration of national First Nations survey initiatives with our regional partners. These surveys include the First Nations Regional Health Survey (FNRHS), the First Nations Regional Early Childhood, Education, and Employment Survey (FNREEES), and the First Nations Labour and Employment Development (FNLED) survey.

Furthermore, FNIGC’s survey work has been reviewed by Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. Harvard University concluded that “compared to other national surveys of Indigenous people from around the world, the 2002/2003 RHS was unique in First Nations ownership of the research process, its explicit incorporation of First Nations values into the research design and in the intensive collaborative engagement of First Nations people and their representatives at each stage of the research process.”

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

Our May 5 on 5 comes in by request on Infection and Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

1. Stanford Medicine. PANS: Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome.

2. Hardin, Hannah et al. An updated review of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with Streptococcus/pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, also known as idiopathic autoimmune encephalitis: What the allergist should know. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2023; 131(5): 567 – 575.

3. Yolken, R. Infections and neuropsychiatric disorders: new studies document pathways to prevention and treatment. Mol Psychiatry28, 2624–2626 (2023).

4. Ranger T, Clift A, Patone M, et al. Preexisting Neuropsychiatric Conditions and Associated Risk of Severe COVID-19 Infection and Other Acute Respiratory Infections. JAMA Psychiatry. 2023;80(1):57-65.

5. Harrison P, Taquet M. Neuropsychiatric disorders following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Brain. 2023;146(6): 2241–2247.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

February’s 5 0n 5 comes in by request 5 resources for fall prevention.

1. Staying On Your Feet. Falls a serious health issue for people of all ages.

2. National Council on Aging. Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs.

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. STEADI – Older Adult Fall Prevention.

4. RNAO. Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls.

5. Government of British Columbia. Fall Prevention: Risk assessment and management for community-dwelling older adults.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

For December’s 5 0n 5 as the days get shorter we have 5 resources on Seasonal Affective Disorder.

1. American Psychiatric Association. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

2. 35 years of light treatment for mental disorders in the Netherlands. Annals of Medicine. 2023;55(2).

3. American Medical Association. What doctors wish patients knew about seasonal affective disorder.

4. Psychological therapies for preventing seasonal affective disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019.

5. UBC Mood Disorders Centre. SAD and light therapy information.

Do you have a suggestion for future 5 on 5 topics? Let us know with an email to mhiknet@umanitoba.ca

November’s 5 0n 5 came in by request! Here are 5 resources for harm reduction.

1. BC Centre for Disease Control. Harm Reduction Clinical Resources.

“BCCDC’s Harm Reduction Services Program that provides harm reduction and overdose prevention information and resources for a diverse audience. It features support for registered harm reduction and Take Home Naloxone distribution sites, including training materials and other educational tools. It also includes topic sections on reducing harm, naloxone programs, overdose prevention and response, and working together.

This page is intended to provide clinical resources for health professionals on harm reduction and overdose prevention and response.”

2. National Harm Reduction Coalition. Resource Centre.

3. Harm Reduction Journal.

“The Harm Reduction Journal is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes research and commentary on approaches diminishing the harm of stigmatization and criminalization of public health, human rights and social justice issues. Harm Reduction Journal encourages submissions on a wide range of topics and we define harm reduction as ‘policies and programs aiming to reduce the health, social, and economic costs of a behavior without necessarily reducing the behavior itself’.”

4. First Nations Health Association.

Indigenous Harm Reduction.

Harm Reduction at the FNHA.

Harm Reduction for Health and Community Workers.

5. Alberta Health Services. Harm Reduction.

“Harm reduction refers to policies, programs and practices that aim to reduce risks and harm associated with the use of psychoactive substances. It acknowledges that abstinence is not always a realistic goal for some people. It is about meeting people where they are and identifying the goals they wish to achieve based on their individual needs and circumstances.”