The increased administrative burden on family doctors, along with a rise in complex patient cases, have led to extended work hours, leading to burnout within family medicine. In this session, we share invaluable strategies and time management hacks to combat burnout and enhance both professional satisfaction and personal well-being. The panel offers insights and tips on optimizing charting and paperwork review to increase efficiency in practice.

Panelists:

• Chandi Chandrasena, MD CCFP FCFP, Family Physician, Chief Medical Officer of OntarioMD, Lecturer, Department of Family Medicine at UofOttawa
• Sarah Giles, MD CCFP(EM), FCFP, FRRMS, DMT&H, ER and Hospitalist Physician, Lake of the Woods District Hospital; Assistant Professor, NOSMU
• James Goertzen, MD, Family physician and Former Associate Dean, Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) at NOSM U

Co-host:

• Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This session originally took place on December 13, 2023. A recording can be viewed here.

It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of a non-migraine headache and symptoms can be vague. If left untreated, headaches can lead to poor mood, sleep and a reduced quality of life. Missed red flags can lead to significant harm to patients such as stroke and malignancy. How can family doctors address a patient’s headache to help improve their quality of life and prevent overreliance on pain medication? Listen to this session as our panel shares their personal experiences in treating patients with non-migraine headaches. We also share resources and practical tips to help support you and your patients.

Panelists:

• Sheri Wark, Sport Medicine & Family Physician, Mountdale Family Health Team; NOSM Assistant Professor, Thunder Bay, ON
• Virginia McEwen

Co-host:

• Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This session originally took place on November 22, 2023. A video recording can be viewed here.

There are few treatment options for patients with personality disorders and these patients can pose a challenge for doctors and clinic staff, leading to burnout. If a personality disorder is not addressed, patients may not receive the care they need and family doctors may not want to continue with the individual as a patient or may become burned out from treating them. Listen to our session as we share treatment options for managing patients with personality disorders (specifically borderline), share strategies on how to manage a patient’s behaviour when it causes conflict with staff and discuss how to avoid burnout when caring for a patient with a personality disorder.

Panelists:

• Jon Davine, MD, FCFPO, CCFP(C), Associate Clinical Professor, McMaster University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences
• James Goertzen, MD, Family physician and Associate Dean, Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) at NOSM U
• Nicole Profous, a CAMH client diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, exemplifies resilience and determination in her pursuit of mental health and well-being.

Co-host:

• Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This session originally took place on October 25, 2023. You can watch a recording of the event here.

Legalized cannabis and the marketing of its products has led to patients experiencing an increased dependency on cannabis to manage pain and anxiety. Family doctors don’t always know when cannabis is indicated and the messaging available may come from sources with a conflict of interest. What can family doctors do to support patients experiencing cannabis dependency? Listen to our session as our panel engage in a discussion and share personal experiences and practical tips and strategies to help.

Panelists:

• Meldon Kahan, Medical Director, META:PHI; Staff physician, Substance Use Service, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
• Suzanne Turner, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Family Physician, McMaster Family Health Team, Staff Addiction Medicine Physician, Inpatient Substance Use Service, St. Joseph's Health Care Hamilton and Hamilton Health Sciences, Head of Service, Primary Care Obstetrics, St. Joseph's Health Care Hamilton. Hamilton, ON

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This session originally took place on September 27, 2023. You can watch a recording here.

Insomnia can be caused by multiple factors and may require a longer appointment, but family doctors don’t always have the time. If the issue is not addressed, overreliance on sleep aids can lead to patient dependency and poor sleep can lead to substance use, as well as decreased productivity and mood. Listen to this session as our panelists discuss experiences treating insomnia with non-pharmaceutical methods (ex. Cognitive behavioral therapy) and relaxation techniques. Panelists provide a treatment algorithm and share what other options one should try after melatonin and trazodone.

Panelists:

• Chris Frank, Care of the Elderly focused-practice physician, Queen’s University and Providence Care Hospital; Steering Committee Member, Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario; Committee Member, Older Adult Advisory Committee of Mental Health Commission
• Marcia Kostenuik, Medical Psychotherapist focused on Physician Health, Physician Coach, Speaker, Parenting and Relationship Coach, Psychotherapy Teacher at the University of Toronto Family Medicine Teaching Unit, Barrie, ON; Peer guide, Practising Well Peer Connect Program, Ontario College of Family Physicians; Member of the Board of Directors, Medical Psychotherapy Association of Canada
• Purti Papneja, Family Physician and Assistant Professor, Sunnybrook Academic Family Health team, Department  of Family and Community Medicine; Sleep Consultant, Ellesmere Sleep Disorder Clinic, Toronto, ON

Co-host:

• Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This event originally took place on August 23, 2003. A video recording can be viewed here.

Women’s pain issues, including menstrual and pregnancy related pain, can often go dismissed due to a lack of training in pelvic pain. This can lead to the undertreatment of pain symptoms in women. How can family physicians better recognize and offer treatments to ensure these issues are being addressed? Listen to this session as our panelists offer personal experience with managing female patients with pelvic pain including investigations and treatment options.

Panelists:

• Marina Abdel Malak, Lecturer, University of Toronto; Assistant Clinical Professor, McMaster University; Assistant Director of Programs, The Foundation for Medical Practice Education; Physician Lead, Primary Care Continuing Medical Education, Trillium Health Partners; Family Physician, Mississauga
• Mathew Leonardi, Gynecologic Surgeon Sonologist, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton, ON
• Rachel Shour, Focused Practice in Mental Health and Medical Psychotherapy; Department of Family and Community Medicine cross appointment in Psychiatry, North York General Hospital; DFCM, Division of Mental Health and Addictions; Lecturer, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Co-host:

• Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This session originally took place on Wednesday, July 26, 2023. A live recording can be viewed here. 

Smoking can cause serious health issues and is the leading cause of death among substance use disorders. Listen to this session as your fellow family doctors share personal experiences with managing patients who smoke. The panel will discuss motivational interviewing, provide an overview of treatment options and share available referral pathways that can support a patient.

The Practising Well Community of Practice has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 1 Mainpro+Ⓡcredits. This Community of Practice includes a series of planned webinars. Each session is worth 1 Mainpro+Ⓡcredits, for up to a total of 12 credits.

Panelists:

• Monica Gad, Family Physician; Nicotine Dependence Clinic Clinician, Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON
• Osnat Melamed, MD, MSc, MCFP, Addictions Physician, Nicotine Dependence Clinic, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
• Peter Selby

Co-host:

• Nikki Bozinoff, Division Head, Mental Health and Addictions, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto; Physician, Concurrent Outpatient Medical and Psychosocial Addiction Support Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Moderator:

• Stephanie Zhou, Addictions Medicine Physician and EDI & Social Accountability Lead, Sunnybrook Hospital; FHO Lead, Don Mills FHT; Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine; Board Director, Toronto Public Health, Toronto, ON

This session originally took place on June 28, 2023. A video recording is available here.

Do you find yourself experiencing stressful interactions with patients, other physicians or allied health providers? These conversations in the workplace can leave us feeling isolated and burned out. Listen as we share personal experiences in navigating stressful interactions, provide insights into what we’ve learned and tips for managing these situations, including how to navigate maintaining or leaving provider-patient relationships.

Panelists

• Dr. Joan Chan (Guelph, ON)
• Dr. Claudia Hubbes (Ottawa, ON)
• Dr. James Goertzen (Thunder Bay, ON)

This session took place on May 24, 2023. A video recording can be watched here.

Family doctors are often the first contact patients may have with the health care system and a missed diagnosis could lead to comorbidities. Listen to our panel as they share tips to recognize and address a potential eating disorder with a patient. They will also share ideas on how to help patients feel comfortable talking about an eating disorder.

Panelists:

• Dr. Marina Abdel Malak (Mississauga, ON)
• Dr. Deema Abdul Hadi (Mississauga, ON)
• Dr. Karen Trollope-Kumar (Hamilton, ON)

This session took place on April 26, 2023. A video recording is also available. 

Although uncertainty is a common element of patient care, as doctors, we feel better when we think we have all the answers. Join your colleagues for a discussion about how to manage patients who have a complex diagnosis and share tips on time-management, resources for referrals and strategies to help manage our own feelings.

Panelists:

• Dr. Merrilee Brown (Port Perry, ON)
• Dr. Lisa Del Giudice (Toronto, ON)
• Dr. Sarah Newbery (Marathon, ON)

Download the resources:

• Session Slides (PDF)
• Video recording

This session originally took place on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.