Effects of Music Therapy on Patients with Dementia-A Systematic Review.

Dementia is an increasingly common syndrome and while pharmacotherapy is available, its potential benefit is limited, especially in non-cognitive outcomes. Non-pharmacotherapy such as music therapy is potentially associated with improved outcomes. We assessed the effects of music therapy on patients with dementia to evaluate its potential benefits on dementia.

A New Strategic Approach to Successful Aging and Healthy Aging.

Successful aging is not a new concept, although its definition remains controversial, because of its multi-dimensional nature. [..

Systematic Review of Cholinesterase Inhibitors on Cognition and Behavioral Symptoms in Patients of Chinese Descent with Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular Dementia, or Mixed Dementia.

Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are the primary pharmacologic treatment for dementia. Their efficacy in patients of Chinese descent is not well described. We reviewed how ChEIs could affect cognition and behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) in Chinese patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), or mixed (AD with vascular component) dementia.

Impact of a competency based curriculum on quality improvement among internal medicine residents.

Background: Teaching quality improvement (QI) principles during residency is an important component of promoting patient safety and improving quality of care. The literature on QI curricula for internal medicine residents is limited. We sought to evaluate the impact of a competency based curriculum on QI among internal medicine residents.

Association Between Vitamin D Dosing Regimen and Fall Prevention in Long-term Care Seniors.

Introduction: The effectiveness of vitamin D in reducing falls among long-term care (LTC) seniors remains nonconclusive. We reviewed how vitamin D dosing regimen could affect rate of fall and number of fallers among LTC seniors.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review.

Twelve tips for teaching in a provincially distributed medical education program.

Background: As distributed undergraduate and postgraduate medical education becomes more common, the challenges with the teaching and learning process also increase.

Aim: To collaboratively engage front line teachers in improving teaching in a distributed medical program.

Method: We recently conducted a contest on teaching tips in a provincially distributed medical education program and received entries from faculty and resident teachers.

Medication reconciliation: identifying medication discrepancies in acutely ill hospitalized older adults.

Background: Medication discrepancies may occur during transitions from community to acute care hospitals. The elderly are at risk for such discrepancies due to multiple comorbidities and complex medication regimens. Medication reconciliation involves verifying medication use and identifying and rectifying discrepancies.

Evaluation of resident attitudes and self-reported competencies in health advocacy.

Background: The CanMEDS Health Advocate role, one of seven roles mandated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada, pertains to a physician's responsibility to use their expertise and influence to advance the wellbeing of patients, communities, and populations. We conducted our study to examine resident attitudes and self-reported competencies related to health advocacy, due to limited information in the literature on this topic.

Methods: We conducted a pilot experience with seven internal medicine residents participating in a community health promotion event.

Use of simulator-based medical procedural curriculum: the learner's perspectives.

Background: Simulation is increasingly used for teaching medical procedures. The goal of this study was to assess learner preferences for how simulators should be used in a procedural curriculum.

Methods: A 26-item survey was constructed to assess the optimal use of simulators for the teaching of medical procedures in an internal medicine residency curriculum.

Improving internal medicine residents' performance, knowledge, and confidence in central venous catheterization using simulators.

Background: Efficacy of simulators in teaching central venous catheterization (CVC) in an internal medicine residency program is unknown.

Objective: To determine whether or not learning CVC on simulators is associated with improvement in performance of CVC, knowledge about the procedure, and self-reported confidence.

Methods: All consenting first-year internal medicine residents who completed training in CVC on simulators were included.

Using television shows to teach communication skills in internal medicine residency.

Background: To address evidence-based effective communication skills in the formal academic half day curriculum of our core internal medicine residency program, we designed and delivered an interactive session using excerpts taken from medically-themed television shows.

Methods: We selected two excerpts from the television show House, and one from Gray's Anatomy and featured them in conjunction with a brief didactic presentation of the Kalamazoo consensus statement on doctor-patient communication. To assess the efficacy of this approach a set of standardized questions were given to our residents once at the beginning and once at the completion of the session.

Adverse outcomes following hospitalization in acutely ill older patients.

Background: The longitudinal outcomes of patients admitted to acute care for elders units (ACE) are mixed. We studied the associations between socio-demographic and functional measures with hospital length of stay (LOS), and which variables predicted adverse events (non-independent living, readmission, death) 3 and 6 months later.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of community-living, medical patients age 75 or over admitted to ACE at a teaching hospital.

Real time curriculum map for internal medicine residency.

Background: To manage the voluminous formal curriculum content in a limited amount of structured teaching time, we describe the development and evaluation of a curriculum map for academic half days (AHD) in a core internal medicine residency program.

Methods: We created a 3-year cyclical curriculum map (an educational tool combining the content, methodology and timetabling of structured teaching), comprising a matrix of topics under various specialties/themes and corresponding AHD hours. All topics were cross-matched against the ACP-ASIM in-training examination, and all hours were colour coded based on the categories of core competencies.

Self-reported understanding of diabetes and its treatment among elderly ambulatory subjects in British Columbia.

Background: There is little published information on the level of self-reported understanding of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its treatment among elderly subjects with DM or on the association between such understanding and the likelihood of errors in the recall of medication regimens.

Objectives: The primary objectives of the present study were to describe self-reported understanding of DM and its treatment among elderly subjects with DM, and to determine whether poorer understanding of the disease and its treatment was predictive of medication-recall errors. Secondary objectives were to assess the potential association of certain demographic and disease-specific variables with subjects' understanding of DM and its treatment.

Measurement properties of the L test for gait in hospitalized elderly.

Objective: Evaluate the reliability, validity, and predictive value of the L test, a performance-based walk test, among older inpatients.

Design: Cross-sectional study involving a consecutive sample of 50 older adults (mean age 84 +/- 5 yrs) admitted to the geriatric unit of a tertiary care hospital. Application of the L test twice and single application of the timed "up and go" test (TUG), and the Frailty and Injuries Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques (FICSIT-4) balance scale, were conducted.