Imagine having a sunburn all the time. This is the reality for patients with autoimmune diseases that cause blistering. But hope is on the horizon. Research findings of primary investigator and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. David Granville and his team have revealed the culprit that exacerbates blistering and prevents healing.
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) supports health improvements and innovation through its Knowledge Translation Challenge, a program run in collaboration with Providence Health Care. This competition challenges health care practitioners to translate research discoveries and evidence into everyday practice with the aim of improving patient care. The challenge brings together practitioners who do not have knowledge translation experience and researchers who provide knowledge translation mentorship and resources.
This summer’s heat waves had people scrambling for ways to stay cool. In the Lower Mainland pool hours were extended, cooling centres were set up to prevent heat-related illness and power usage hit an all-time high. Ongoing wildfires and poor air quality in the interior were another reminder that global warming’s effect on our health has never been more evident.
We know that exposure to the sun’s rays can cause premature aging of the skin, but in some cases it can also lead to an allergic reaction. Dr. Harvey Lui explains how to tell if that rash is from the sun and when to see your doctor.
Cyber hacking and data breaches have been capturing headlines around the globe, making online security a top priority for everyone. With patient confidentiality and important clinical information on the line, the stakes in health care are very high. Our digital privacy and protection expert Janine Johnston decodes what clinicians and researchers can do to protect their electronic data from attack.
A new study by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientists pinpoints the optimal timing for hip fracture surgery to reduce mortality. The study, recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, used the advanced methods of causal inference to project expected mortality if all medically stable older patients in Canada were to undergo surgery on the day of admission, on inpatient day two, on inpatient day three, or after three days.
A woman’s health is essential to her personal well-being, yet many women still feel they cannot speak openly about concerns they may have about their sexuality. For decades, women’s voices have not been adequately heard in the health arena. More attention needs to be directed to the societal need to address the health and safety of women.
Computer software is transforming much of the medical world. When it comes to computerized testing of brain health, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientist Dr. Julie Robillard says software designers need to do a better job of putting the emotional needs of patients first.
Doctors at Vancouver Coastal Health have teamed up with patients and a local poet to improve mental health care using the power of poetry.
The groundbreaking initiative, called the Depression Project, resulted in a book of poems titled “Oh Not So Great”. The team of researchers behind the project, including Dr. Josephine Lee, a general practitioner from Richmond General Hospital, will use the poetry collection to aid in enhancing empathy towards patients with depression.
