Thursday June 17
Track Chairs
Dr. Kathryn Dong is the medical director of the Addiction Recovery and Community Health Team at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and a
Clinical Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta.
Hasan Sheikh is an emergency and addiction physician in Toronto, and a Lecturer at the University of Toronto. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and focuses on using the emergency department to diagnose failures of our public policies.
Leading System-Wide Change as an Emergency Physician
Description
As one of our definitive social safety nets, emergency physicians have a unique understanding of the failures of our public policies. But we often feel powerless to affect the large scale, system-wide change required to improve the health of our patients. This track explores how emergency physicians can turn those frustrations into fuel for upstream advocacy. Our panelists will examine their journey from a single patient experience to systemic advocacy, as well as offer their perspectives on how their unique circumstances within a health authority, academic institution, community hospital and medical association have helped or hindered their ability to advocate. Finally, the track will conclude with a short primer on persuasive writing for advocacy, where you can practice making your next letter to your chief, hospital leadership, or op-ed enticing and effective.
Learning Objectives
Understand the role of emergency physicians in advocating for upstream policy solutions that affect the health of our patients.
Consider how their unique circumstances influences their ability to internally and externally advocate, in particular holding a leadership position in an academic institution, health authority, hospital, and/or medical association.
Learn and practice persuasive writing tips to make them a more effective advocate.
Speakers
Persuasive Writing for Advocacy
A short primer on persuasive writing for advocacy, where you can practice making your next letter to your chief, hospital leadership, or op-ed enticing and effective.
Learn and practice persuasive writing tips to become a more effective advocate.
Speaker
Substance Use
Alcohol, opioids and methamphetamine: Critical interventions for your next ED shift
Speakers
Description
Emergency physicians frequently see patients presenting with the consequences and complications of substance use disorders. Frequent ED visits for alcohol related reasons are associated with a high one-year mortality. And since the emergence of toxic synthetic opioids into the illegal drug market, emergency physicians have been on the front lines of responding to a rapid escalation in opioid and other drug related deaths.
An ED visit can be a key opportunity to identify, intervene and refer patients for ongoing substance use treatment. This session will provide you with tangible tools – things you can implement on your next shift – when caring for people who use substances.
Learning Objectives:
Manage patients with simple and complex alcohol withdrawal and initiate first-line pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder
Treat patients with opioid use disorder according to the new CAEP Position Statement ‘Emergency department management of people with opioid use disorder’
Understand the management of methamphetamine-induced psychosis and offer longer-term treatment options for people with methamphetamine use disorder
Pearls
Simple ≠ Safe
Adequately and aggressively treat alcohol withdrawal
Offer anti-craving medications to everyone with alcohol use disorder
Alcohol Use Disorder in the ED
Opioid use Disorder
Treat patients with opioid use disorder according to the new CAEP Position Statement ‘Emergency department management of people with opioid use disorder.’
