November is diabetes month, so we’ve pulled together a list of 10 resources related to diabetes for you to check out!

1. Multilingual Diabetes Fact Sheets for Patients

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care website has a variety of patient information handouts written in English, French, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Cree, Hindi, Ojibway, Ojicree, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

2. The Long Story Short: Optimizing choice and Use of Insulin Needles

This patient information infographic from RXfiles features best practices for insulin injection.

3. National Aboriginal Diabetes Association

The National Aboriginal Diabetes Association website includes information about diabetes, and services and programs of particular interest to indigenous people who have diabetes.

4. Ramadan and Diabetes

Diabetes Canada provides recommendations for health professionals regarding diabetes management during Ramadan fasting.

5. UK Diabetes Diet Questionnaire (UKDQ)

The UK Diabetes and Diet Questionnaire (UKDDQ) is a validated tool to help assess patients’ food consumption and meal patterns. It takes roughly 10 minutes to complete and can be self-scored. The UKDDQ is copyright to the University of Bristol, licensed under a Creative Commons, Attribution NonCommercial No Derivatives Licence.

6. Webinar – Engaging the Disengaged Patient. NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 2015.

Webinar description: Chronically problematic self-management is one of the major contributors to poor metabolic outcomes in diabetes. Patients are often unable or unwilling to take medications regularly, follow a diabetes-friendly style of eating, exercise regularly, check blood glucose levels as prescribed and/or return for regular appointments. This is rarely due to a lack of motivation; indeed, almost everyone would prefer to live a long and healthy life. Given the limited time available for clinical consultations, what can the busy health care professional do to help patients address difficult obstacles such as diabetes distress, depression, and behavior change? During this webinar, William Polonsky, PhD, CDE, President and Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, shares research findings concerning poor motivation in diabetes care, describes techniques for assessing key contributors to patient disengagement, and presents practical methods for overcoming patient disengagement in diabetes clinical practice.

7. Behavioral Diabetes Institute

The Behavioral Diabetes Institute is a non-profit organization that focuses on addressing the social, emotional, and psychological barriers to living a long and healthy life with diabetes. Their site includes a variety of resources for health professionals, patients and their families. Examples of free professional resources include assessment scales for measuring patients’ diabetes distress, video presentations about effectively communicating with patients, and a video CME series entitled “Critical Psychosocial Issues in Diabetes”.

8.  Best Practice Recommendations for the Prevention and Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers. 2018. Canadian Association of Wound Care.

This paper outlines the Wound Prevention and Management Cycle, which can be used for developing a customized patient plan for the prevention and management of wounds.

9. Chronic Kidney Disease Nutrition Management Training Program. NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The National Kidney Disease Education Program “has developed Chronic Kidney Disease Nutrition Management, a series of five training modules that use engaging activities and case studies to prepare registered dietitians (RDs) for counseling patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Each module focuses on a specific area of nutrition management for kidney disease patients, including background information on CKD, slowing the progression of CKD, CKD complications, the CKD “diet,” and the transition from CKD to kidney failure. The modules also demonstrate how NKDEP’s free resources can be used to counsel patients with CKD.”

10.  Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) Evidence Bundle: Evidence on Diabetes Management

CADTH offers a variety of information products relating to diabetes management including: in-depth systematic reviews, recommendation reports, and implementation tools geared to translating research into action.

October is a month of many special events, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Health Literacy Month, Occupational Therapy Month, Canadian Library Month, plus many more weeks and days.  It was hard to choose just one to focus on!

1. Canadian Patient Safety Week

Canadian Patient Safety Week #AskListenTalk runs October 29 to November 2, 2018.  This year’s focus is on medication safety, with the theme Not All Meds Get Along, prompting patients and healthcare professionals to seek medication reviews for at-risk populations.

A plethora of free resources are available, including a podcast series, documentaries and videos, communications toolkit, quizzes, and more.

2. Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety – Canadian Patient Safety Week

The Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety features Manitoba-specific resources, with a focus on It’s Safe To Ask which encourages patients and healthcare providers to ask and discuss three key questions.

3. Twitter for Health Care Professionals

Are you unsure what all the phrases with # are for?  This easy-to-use guide provides an overview of using Twitter in healthcare and outlines an 8-step guide to get you started and so you can follow Canadian Patient Safety Week activities #AskListenTalk!

4. 5 Questions to Ask about Your Medications

These five questions can help patients and caregivers start a conversation about medications to improve communications with their health care provider.

5. Clear: A Call for Less Antipsychotics in Residential Care

This BC Patient Safety and Quality Council initiative supports long-term care homes to reduce the number of their residents who are prescribed antipsychotic medications.

6. Abbreviations

The Health Quality Council of Alberta created this toolkit to stop the use of abbreviations in healthcare.  Abbreviations are unsafe because they are not universally understood, but their use is currently widespread in healthcare.

7. Hospital Harm Improvement Resource

The Canadian Institute for Health Information analyzed its data on preventable harm that occurs in Canadian acute care hospitals.  The Canadian Patient Safety Institute then created evidence-based interventions to reduce those harmful incidents.

8. Canadian Deprescribing Network: Deprescribing Algorithms

Decisions around deprescribing can be very difficult.  Researchers from the Bruyère Research Institute and the Ontario Pharmacy Research Collaboration developed evidence-based guidelines for deprescribing.  Each guideline is summarized in an easy-to-use algorithm and information brochure. These algorithms can help health care professionals safely stop or reduce medications for specific drug classes.

9. The Opioid Crisis: City-Based Solutions

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities Big-City Mayors’ Caucus created comprehensive recommendations for coordinated, Canada-wide action by all levels of government.  This includes action on all four pillars of Canada’s drug strategy: harm reduction, treatment, prevention and enforcement.

10. “Caption This” Comic Challenge

To finish on a fun and light note, as part of Canadian Patient Safety Week, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute is holding a contest to create the best caption for the Not All Meds Get Along image.  The only rule is that it must be clean and family friendly.  The deadline to enter is noon MT on November 2, 2018.  Good luck!

In anticipation of the legalization of cannabis in Canada next month, we’ve pulled together 10 useful resources to check out.

1 Cannabis in Canada – Get the Facts

Health Canada’s general website about cannabis in Canada addresses a variety of health and legal aspects of cannabis.

2  Marijuana pediatric exposure prevention guidance. Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment.

Evidence-based clinical resources documents for Colorado health care providers to talk with parents of children and youth (ages 0-20) and to talk directly to adolescents (ages 9-20) about marijuana use and exposure. 

3  “Parents: Help your teen understand what’s fact and fiction about marijuana”

This poster from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction addresses some common myths about cannabis use.

4 Cannabis in Canada: Implications for nursing in a changing legal and health-care landscape

This webinar was presented as part of the Canadian Nurses Association Progress in Practice Webinar Series, 2017.

5 Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test -Revised (CUDIT-R).

This assessment scale is in the public domain and is free to use with appropriate citation:

Adamson SJ, Kay-Lambkin FJ, Baker AL, Lewin TJ, Thornton L, Kelly BJ, and Sellman JD. (2010). An Improved Brief Measure of Cannabis Misuse: The Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test – Revised (CUDIT-R). Drug and Alcohol Dependence 110:137-143.

6  Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) Evidence Bundle for Medical Cannabis.

Browse CADTH evidence on Medical Cannabis relating to Pain Treatment, Safety, and Cannabis use for specific conditions and populations.

7  Cannabinoid Drug Comparison Chart RX Files. June 2017.

 This useful drug comparison chart from the RX Files Academic Detailing Program is packed with information about cannabinoids for medicinal use.

8 Cannabis for Medical Purposes Evidence Guide: Information for Pharmacists and Other Health Care Professionals. Canadian Pharmacists Association. 2018.

This evidence guide was prepared to provide pharmacists and other health care providers with a curated summary of the best available evidence of the use of medical cannabis and cannabinoids for a variety of indications, including pain, multiple sclerosis (MS), chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting (CINV), and epilepsy.

9 Clearing the Haze: The Impacts of Marijuana in the Workplace. Human Resources Professionals Association. Toronto, Ontario. [no date].

The HRPA has developed this white paper to help employers and the government understand the challenges ahead. This paper explores four key areas: 1. Safety in the workplace 2. Employers’ duty to accommodate users of medical cannabis 3. Drug plans 4. Drug testing.

10 Growing at Home: Health and Safety Concerns for Personal Cannabis Cultivation. National Collaborative Centre for Environmental Health, 2018.

This evidence review identifies health and safety concerns that may be relevant to personal cultivation after cannabis legalization.

There’s a lot of information out there about cannabis! The MHIKNET literature search service is available to staff of Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living, staff of participating Health Regions, and fee-for-service physicians in Manitoba. If you need a customized literature search conducted on this or any other topic, fill out our MHIKNET literature search request form to make a request.

At the June inter-professional Continuing Professional Development program, MHIKNET Library Services is displaying books from the Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library on Endocrinology.  Titles include:

• Ahmad, S.I. (2012). Diabetes an old disease, a new insight. Dordrecht: Springer.
• Camacho, P. (2011). A color handbook of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. London: Manson Pub.
• Graham, K. (2012). Diabetes meals for good health: Includes complete meal plans and 100 recipes. Toronto: R. Rose.
• Gretcher, B. (2015). The first year – Type 2 diabetes: An essential guide for the newly diagnosed. Boston, MA: Da Capo Lifelong Books.
• Heidelbaugh, J.J. (2014). Type II diabetes mellitus: a multidisciplinary approach. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Elsevier.
• Macut, D. (2013). Polycystic ovary syndrome: novel insights into causes and therapy. New York: Karger.

Contact us to borrow these (or other) books at mhiknet@umanitoba.ca or 1-877-789-3804.

In addition, MHIKNET has compiled a list of independent learning resources on Endocrinology. This list includes links to available articles, guidelines, and web resources.

At the April inter-professional Continuing Professional Development program, MHIKNET Library Services is displaying books from the Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library on Health Care for the Elderly.  Titles include:

• Cohen, J.; Deliens, L. (2012). A public health perspective on end of life care. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
• Feola, B. (2015). The eldercare consultant: Your guide to making the best choices possible. New York: American Management Association.
• Leung, P.C.; Kofler, W. (2013). Health, wellbeing, competence, and aging. New Jersey: World Scientific.
• Naeim, A.; et al. (2012). Management of cancer in the older patient. St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier/Saunders.
• Roberta, E.; et al. (2013). Senior fitness test manual. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
• Wojtek, J.C. (2014). ACSM’s exercise for older adults. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wolters Kluwer Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Contact us to borrow these (or other) books at mhiknet@umanitoba.ca or 1-877-789-3804.

In addition, MHIKNET has compiled a list of independent learning resources on Health Care for the Elderly. This list includes links to available articles, guidelines, and web resources.

At the March Continuing Professional Development program for physicians, MHIKNET Library Services is displaying books from the Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library concerning musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.  Titles include:

• Bickley, L.S.; et al. (2017). Bates’ guide to physical examination and history taking. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
• Browner, B.D.; Fuller, R. (2013). Musculoskeletal emergencies. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders.
• Cantu, R.C.; Hyman, M. (2013). Concussions and our kids: America’s leading expert on how to protect young athletes and keep sports safe. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Duderstadt, K. (2014). Pediatric physical examination: An illustrated handbook. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.
• Khalsa, S.B.S.; et al. (2016). The principles and practice of yoga in health care. Edinburgh: Handspring Publishing.
• Mead, G.; van Wijck, F. (2013). Exercise and fitness training after stroke: A handbook for evidence-based practice. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Contact us to borrow these (or other) books at mhiknet@umanitoba.ca or 1-877-789-3804.

In addition, MHIKNET has compiled a list of independent learning resources concerning musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. This list includes links to available articles, guidelines, and web resources.

At the February Continuing Professional Development program for physicians, MHIKNET Library Services is displaying books from the Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library concerning autoimmune disorders. Titles include:

• Atkins, G. (2012). The biology of multiple sclerosis. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Boulware, D.; Heudebert, G. (2012). Lippincott’s primary care rheumatology. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health / Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Foster, H.; Brogan, P. (2012). Paediatric Rheumatology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Rae-Grant, A. (2013). Multiple sclerosis and related disorders: Clinical guide to diagnosis, medical management, and rehabilitation. New York: Demos Medical.
• Contact us to borrow these (or other) books at mhiknet@umanitoba.ca or 1-877-789-3804.

In addition, MHIKNET has compiled a list of independent learning resources concerning autoimmune disorders. This list includes links to available articles, guidelines, and web resources.

At the January Continuing Professional Development program for physicians, MHIKNET Library Services is displaying books from the Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library concerning Topics in Dermatology. Titles include:

• Hall, B.J.; Hall, J.C. (2011). Hall’s manual of skin as a marker of underlying disease. Shelton, CT: People’s Medical Publishers.
• Jie-Jia, L.; Jian-Ping, F. (2014). Fundamentals of Chinese fingernail image diagnosis (FID). London: Singing Dragon.
• Madhuri,, R.; Cottrill, R. (2011). Healing wounds, healthy skin: A practical guide for patients with chronic wounds. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
• Wolverton, S.E. (2013). Comprehensive dermatologic drug therapy. Philadelphia, PA; Saunders.
• Contact us to borrow these (or other) books at mhiknet@umanitoba.ca or 1-877-789-3804.

In addition, MHIKNET has compiled a list of independent learning resources concerning Topics in Dermatology. This list includes links to available articles, guidelines, and web resources.

Please note that MHIKNET Library Services will be closed from Friday December 23, 2016 through Monday January 2, 2017, re-opening on Tuesday January 3, 2017.

If you would like to receive literature search results, or articles through document delivery, please submit requests prior to December 14, 2016, to ensure they’ll be completed by December 22.