Health Science Inquiry (Journal)
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The Long Haul: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Surgical Backlog Problem
Get PDFWait times for elective and non-elective surgeries were an existing concern, pre-COVID-19. The effects of the pandemic year have prolonged these wait times, causing further harm to surgical candidates. These delays pose a significant challenge for governments and require higher prioritization of healthcare spending to prevent worsening outcomes from delayed surgeries
Stigma: The Overlooked Side of COVID-19
Get PDFCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a new viral illness that is part of the same family as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, has globally infected millions of people. The COVID-19 pandemic has created fear and anxiety within society and resulted in detrimental impacts such as social stigma toward certain groups. These groups include individuals who have contracted the virus, individuals of certain backgrounds, those associated with COVID-19 patients and healthcare providers. It is important to understand the process of stigma to develop more effective interventions; this can include utilizing a psychoeducational and behavioural modification approach to ease disease transmission and patient suffering. Globally, a collective effort needs to be made to increase education, improve the knowledge and attitudes related to COVID-19 and aid in the reduction of social stigma. Local and national teamwork and communication is important to work efficiently; transparency is key to alleviate fears and reduce stigma and discrimination by addressing general and specific concerns about COVID-19. Understanding stigma in the context of COVID-19 is essential to increase awareness of its negative consequences and to recognize that education can improve health care and outcomes for this disease
Digital health in a broadband land: The role of digital health literacy within rural environments
Get PDFThe rapid rise and widespread integration of digital technologies (e.g., smartphones, personal computers) into the fabric of our society has birthed a modern means of delivering healthcare, known as digital health. Through leveraging the accessibility and ubiquity of digital technologies, digital health represents an unprecedented level of reach, impact, and scalability for healthcare interventions, known as digital behaviour change interventions (DBCIs). The potential benefits associated with employing DBCIs are of particular interest for populations that are disadvantaged to receiving traditional healthcare, such as rural populations. However, several factors should be considered before implementing a DBCI into a rural environment, notably, digital health literacy. Digital health literacy describes the skills necessary to successful navigate and utilize a digital health solution (e.g., DBCI). Given their limited access to high-speed internet, higher cost associated for similar services, and poorer development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), most rural populations likely report lower digital health literacy – specifically, computer literacy, the ability to utilize and leverage digital technologies to solve problems. Hence, DBCIs should address this ‘digital divide’ between urban and rural populations before implementation. Practical solutions could include evaluating rural communities’ access to ICTs, needs assessments with rural community members, as well as integrating rural community stakeholders into the design of digital literacy education and interventions
The information theory of aging: Hacking immortality?
Get PDFHumans have sought to cheat death for as long as we have been cognizant of our mortality. History’s early explorers of the frontier of immortality include alchemists in the pursuit of an elixir of life and emperors who, ironically, hastened their own death from the consumption of mercurial concoctions. Scientifically grounded approaches to the extension of the human lifespan emerged in the 20th century and were based on hormonal rejuvenation, calorie restriction, and most recently, the consumption of supplements with purported anti-aging effects. A combination of three “longevity drugs” has recently been championed by Dr. David Sinclair, co-discoverer of the lifespan-regulating sirtuin enzymes, and author of the epigenetics-focused Information Theory of Aging (ITA). In this work, we investigate the evidence behind Sinclair’s ITA, highlight concerns related to his regimen, and reflect on the possibility that we are at a nexus in time preceding a dramatic increase in human healthspans. Promisingly, if the ITA holds true, individuals will be uniquely empowered to “hack” their own immortality
