Preventing Overdiagnosis a key issue
“Overdiagnosis means making people patients unnecessarily, by identifying problems that were never going to cause harm or by medicalising ordinary life experiences through expanded definitions of diseases” – BMJ EBM
Overdiagnosis, or ODx for short, is a significant issue in health care and the topic of a major international conference in Calgary this June, 2022. Task Force members Drs. Eddy Lang and Guylene Theriault are among the enthusiastic organizers of Preventing Overdiagnosis 2022, with the theme of Evidence, Equity and Post Pandemic Health Care. They provide perspectives on why this topic is important and why you should attend the conference, the first in-person event for many of us in more than 2 years.
Calling primary care practitioners!
Are you a primary care practitioner (PCP)? passionate about health promotion and prevention? Join the Clinical Prevention Leaders (CPL) Network and build new skills with leaders across Canada to promote evidence-based preventive health practices in primary care!
Build new skills, get high-quality free training on guideline development, help improve patient care, expand your networks and more.
Conferences
Attending conferences this spring, either in-person or online? Visit our booths at:
· The 29th Annual Rural and Remote Medicine Course, April 21-23, 2022, SHAW Centre, Ottawa (In-person)
· Choosing Wisely Canada National Meeting, May 25-26, 2022 (Virtual)
· Are you hankering to meet face-to-face with colleagues? The Preventing Overdiagnosis 2022 conference will be hosted in-person at the University of Calgary, June 9-12, 2022. With the theme of Evidence, Equity and Post Pandemic Health Care, the conference will be a great opportunity to network and learn how to prevent overdiagnosis, an especially relevant theme given the many pressures on health care systems.
News
Congratulations Scott!
Dr. Scott Klarenbach has been appointed Vice Chair, Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. A nephrologist and professor at the University of Edmonton, Dr. Klarenbach joined the Task Force in 2015 and has co-authored several guidelines.
A round of applause for Dr. Sharon Straus!
Dr. Sharon Straus, Director of the Knowledge Translation Program which supports the Task Force and was recently awarded the Order of Canada. Congratulations to Dr. Straus, who is also Physician-in-Chief, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto
Related Reading
Recent publications by Task Force members on topics such as screening in primary care, conflicts of interest in guideline development, gender equity and more include:
- The commercialization of patient data in Canada: ethics, privacy and policy
- Recommendations for equitable COVID-19 pandemic recovery in Canada
Need Task Force tools?
We are launching a pilot project to mail packages of our printed and laminated KT tools, from 1000-person tools to infographics and more, to any clinician in Canada upon request.
The goal is to evaluate who uses our tools, how they use them, and if they helped change practice. Request the free tools or participate in the project.
Additional Tools
- Shared-decision making tools for breast cancer screening
- Testing Wisely: Support for communication with patients who request tests that are strongly recommended against
Find short, engaging videos on testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea in sexually active patients under 30 years old on the Task Force’s YouTube channel.
Upcoming Guidelines
Get Involved
Trainees and early career professionals
The Task Force Fellowship Program offers mentored training opportunities to Canadian health care trainees and early career professionals. Learn more.
Patients and Public Engagement
Patients and members of the public can help identify important harms and benefits of preventive health care, and give feedback on guideline communication tools.Interested? Email KTteam@canadiantaskforce.ca. Compensation is provided.
Clinicians
Clinical Prevention Leaders Network promotes the use of clinical practice guidelines through local educational outreach and peer-to-peer learning. Interested in joining the network? Visit CPL Network webpage.Healthcare Practitioner Tool Usability Testing – Clinicians can provide feedback on content, layout, navigation and look of guideline decision tools. Interested? Email KTteam@canadiantaskforce.ca.
The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care is composed of experts who develop evidence-based recommendations for clinical preventive health services delivered by primary care practitioners. The Task Force is supported by the Global Health and Guidelines Division of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Evidence Review and Synthesis Centres from the University of Ottawa and the University of Alberta, and the Knowledge Translation Team from St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto.
Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care