• 59. Case: HPV Vaccine for Boys

    PEI is expanding its human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination program to include grade six boys. Girls have been receiving the HPV vaccine since 2007. HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection among young adults. It can lead to genital warts and, in girls, cervical cancer. For boys it can also lead to cancers of the…

    View Case: 59. Case: HPV Vaccine for Boys

  • 58. Case: Harm Reduction

    Medical Officers of Health from British Colombia, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan have written to advocate for emphasizing harm reduction in the approach to cannabis and other illegal drugs (including possible legalization). “Evidence-based drug treatment programs are cost effective, and significant benefits should be derived, at both individual and societal levels, through an increase in scale.…

    View Case: 58. Case: Harm Reduction

  • 57. Case: Caregiver Stress

    Dr. Morrison has been the only physician in his small community of 1,500 people for about 15 years and is known as the “Town Doc.” When he first moved to town, he quickly became friends with many people and involved in the community. However, the longer he practiced, the more awkward his social life became.…

    View Case: 57. Case: Caregiver Stress

  • 56. Case: Family Friends/ Family Doc

    Dr. Jones has been a close friend of the Smith family since coming to town 18 years ago. The Smith’s oldest child, Sally (15 years), has come to the office to have a physical to be on her school’s track team. Her mother has brought her to the office, but as usual, Dr. Jones sees…

    View Case: 56. Case: Family Friends/ Family Doc

  • 55. Case: What is My Obligation?

    A family physician in a small, remote community assesses a patient, who is a local schoolteacher, as developing a post-partum psychosis. He feels he lacks adequate training or experience to manage her care. He recommends she seek treatment at a distant large mental health centre but she refuses to travel to the centre because of…

    View Case: 55. Case: What is My Obligation?

  • 54. Case: Professional Role

    While doing a weekday home visit to an elderly patient, a VON nurse in a small community finds the patient’s son at home. The patient has mentioned that her son teaches at the local elementary school, but he has never been present during any of the nurse’s previous visits to the house. On a weekday…

    View Case: 54. Case: Professional Role

  • 53. Case: Disease Stigma

    A patient has been followed by you, his family doctor, for several medical issues and is being seen for a minor work-related injury. He is very negative and tearful but will not acknowledge his symptoms when asked. You believe he is depressed and you know you can provide treatment for his depression. However, the patient…

    View Case: 53. Case: Disease Stigma

  • 52. Case: Community Values

    A patient in your rural community that you have treated for COPD for several years missed her last two appointments. When you speak with her after church, she indicated her husband lost his job as a logger and no longer has family health insurance to cover the cost of the treatments. She refuses to accept…

    View Case: 52. Case: Community Values

  • 51. Case: Confidentiality and Privacy

    Joanne Baker, a nurse practitioner in a small community, prescribed a partial opiate agonist to a young man, Brian, for treatment of prescription opiate dependence. Brian is talented and plays on the same soccer team as Joanne’s son. Three weeks later, Brian is found unresponsive after an overdose of opiates, requiring intubations and medical evacuation…

    View Case: 51. Case: Confidentiality and Privacy

  • 50. Case: Overlapping Relationships

    During a routine physical examination at your rural practice, one of your teenage patients shares that he has seen another teenage patient using cocaine at your neighbour’s house. Some Values and Ethics Issues to Consider

    View Case: 50. Case: Overlapping Relationships

  • 49. Case: Reality Check?

    A clerk and resident are frustrated after a morning of taking histories from and doing physical examinations of patients referred to the GI Clinic. As you (the attending clinic gastroenterologist) are going over the morning’s work with them, the clerk and resident complain that most of the patients seem to have less clinically significant symptoms…

    View Case: 49. Case: Reality Check?

  • 48. Case: Shared Experience

    You have recently started working as an RN in cardiology at the local pediatric health centre. One of the first cases you are involved with hits a little close to home. It involves a 2-year old patient named Kira who has a congenital cardiac abnormality. The clinical circumstances are similar to what you experienced with…

    View Case: 48. Case: Shared Experience

  • 47. Case: Collegial Responsibilities

    You are a pediatric critical care specialist working in the ICU taking care of a newborn infant who suffered a severe, prolonged reduction in blood flow to his brain at the time of birth. The consulting neurologist has indicated that the infant’s prognosis for functional neurological recovery is very poor in the unlikely event that…

    View Case: 47. Case: Collegial Responsibilities

  • 46. Case: Team Work?

    Judy, who had worked as a senior social worker in a mental health setting for 12 years, was hired as a team social worker in a community health care organization. Shirley, one of the team RNs, perceived Judy as hesitant and ineffective in patient care planning meetings. Other team members also found Judy to be…

    View Case: 46. Case: Team Work?

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