Strengthening the integration of primary care in pandemic response plans: a qualitative interview study of Canadian family physicians.

Background: As the first point of contact in health care, primary care providers play an integral role in pandemic response. Despite this, primary care has been overlooked in previous pandemic plans, with a lack of emphasis on ways in which the unique characteristics of family practice could be leveraged to create a more effective response.

Aim: To explore family physicians' perceptions of the integration of primary care in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Family physician leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: roles, functions and key supports.

Purpose: Strong leadership in primary care is necessary to coordinate an effective pandemic response; however, descriptions of leadership roles for family physicians are absent from previous pandemic plans. This study aims to describe the leadership roles and functions family physicians played during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and identify supports and barriers to formalizing these roles in future pandemic plans.

Design/methodology/approach: This study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with family physicians across four regions in Canada as part of a multiple case study.

Outcomes of Endolymphatic Sac Surgery for Meniere's Disease with and without Comorbid Migraine.

Purpose: To explore outcomes of endolymphatic sac surgery for patients with Meniere's disease with and without the comorbid condition of migraine.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review of adult patients undergoing endolymphatic sac surgery at a single tertiary care center from 1987 to 2019 was performed. All adult patients who failed medical therapy and underwent primary endolymphatic sac surgery were included.

Building research culture and capacity in academic family medicine departments: Insights from a simulation workshop.

Objective: To use data from a workshop in which various representatives from departments of family medicine (DFMs) aimed to identify strategies to increase research activity, particularly among clinical faculty members.

Design: Descriptive qualitative study using data from a workshop in which participants role-played (ie, as clinician-teachers, department chairs, and mentors) and, while in the role-playing scenario, were asked to imagine strategies that would encourage the clinical faculty members to engage in research.

Setting: The 2014 North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting in New York City, NY.

Disseminated blastomycosis presenting as mastoiditis and epidural abscess.

Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection that affects primarily the lungs. Head and neck involvement has been reported most commonly in the larynx as well as oral and nasal mucosa. Temporal bone involvement is extremely rare.

Split thickness skin grafting in canal wall down tympanomastoidectomy.

Objective: To characterize the effects of a split thickness skin graft (STSG) on the healing of the mastoid cavity in patients undergoing canal wall down (CWD) procedures.

Study Design: A prospective randomized study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Congenital fixation of the head of the stapes in three family members.

We conducted a retrospective chart review at a university hospital on a family that exhibited a rare cause of conductive hearing loss. Four male patients of this family had congenital conductive hearing loss. Three of these family members underwent bilateral ossiculoplasty, a father and two of his three sons.

Challenges and opportunities in managing the dizzy older adult.

Balance disorders are common in elderly people, not only resulting in distressing sensations but also leading to reduced activity levels and quality of life. It has been estimated that 30% of elderly patients experience a balance disorder. Managing these disorders is a substantial challenge for patients and their caregivers and physicians.

Endolymphatic sac surgery for Ménière's disease: long-term results after primary and revision surgery.

Objective: To analyze the results of primary and revision endolymphatic sac surgery for the treatment of Ménière's disease in patients who failed medical therapy.

Design: Retrospective medical chart review.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Split-thickness skin grafting in postmastoidectomy revision and in lateral temporal bone resection.

Objectives: Use of split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) in revision canal wall-down (CWD) mastoidectomy was compared with STSG in lateral temporal bone resection (LTBR).

Study Design And Setting: A retrospective study of 11 patients undergoing revision CWD mastoidectomy and 6 patients undergoing LTBR with STSG in an academic health center setting.

Results: Successful epithelialization of the mastoid cavity occurred in 9 patients (82%) undergoing CWD mastoidectomy.

Defining core procedure skills for Canadian family medicine training.

Objective: To create a list of core and enhanced procedures suitable for family medicine training.

Design: Mailed or e-mailed survey using a Delphi technique.

Setting: Randomly selected family physician practices across Canada.

Diagnosis and management of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea.

Objective: To describe the clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical management, and outcome of patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.