Engaging indigenous patient partners in patient-oriented research: lessons from a one-year initiative.

Background: Patient-oriented research (POR) is a specific application of participatory research that promotes active patient engagement in health research. There is a growing concern that people involved in POR do not reflect the diversity of the population such research aims to serve, but are rather those more 'easily' engaged with institutions, organizations and society. Indigenous peoples are among such groups generally underrepresented in POR.

Fournier's gangrene in a cat.

Objective: To describe the clinical course of a cat diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene.

Case Summary: A 2-year-old castrated male cat was presented to an emergency hospital for evaluation of acute onset of lethargy, mucoid anal discharge, and fever. During hospitalization, with provision of supportive care, an area of necrotizing fasciitis around the prepuce and anus developed and surgical debridement was performed.

Primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a cat.

Primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma causing stricture was diagnosed in a cat via endoscopy and computed tomography. Difficulty in making this diagnosis via endoscopic biopsy alone is described. Although balloon dilatation was unsuccessful, supportive care via gastrostomy tube feeding and administration of piroxicam successfully allowed a 16-week survival from the time of presentation and a 4-week survival from the onset of treatment with piroxicam.

Case management in the Canadian Forces.

Changes in the Canadian military healthcare structure, and an increased reliance on the public healthcare sector, resulted in care fragmentation and a growing dissatisfaction among members with the quality of health services. To remedy the situation, the Canadian Forces began a major re-engineering of its healthcare services. A component of this reform was the implementation of a case management program to improve the continuity of care for members with complex or chronic medical conditions.