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Your Weekly Dose of Health Insights – Because Your Health Isn’t Just a Headline
Good morning, Other Siders!
Big welcome to everyone who hopped on this week. Beyond the headlines, we’re bringing you real, plug‑and‑play case studies from around the world—ideas you can steal (ethically) and deploy in your org tomorrow. And yes, The Other Side of Care is here if you need a sparring partner to turn “we should” into “we did”—digital health strategy, ops transformation, change leadership, the whole messy, meaningful package.
Let's dive into this week's healthcare adventures, shall we?
In today’s edition:
Overdose Cash Hits Atlantic
Keytruda Gets the Green Light
Sign This AI Form?
Case in Point: Ambient AI Scribes—From Hype to Hard Numbers
Dive in and enjoy the ride. 🚀
News that Impacts You!
Overdose Cash Hits Atlantic 💸
Health Canada is dropping $2.8M to support four community projects tackling toxic drug deaths in Atlantic Canada. More boots on the ground where overdoses are spiking, not just more memos in Ottawa. Imagine a Fredericton outreach worker finally getting stable funding for naloxone kits instead of crowdfunding every month. Are we finally funding the frontline instead of the press conference?
Keytruda Gets the Green Light ✅
Health Canada approved KEYTRUDA + chemoradiotherapy for advanced cervical cancer, backed by Phase 3 data showing better survival. That’s a legit win for patients stuck in “limited options” land. Picture a 42‑year‑old mom in Montreal being told there’s now a combo therapy with real evidence behind it. Are we ready to scale access fast—or will policy lag science (again)?
“Sign This AI Form?” 📝🤖
Australian patients are being asked to consent to AI scribes during GP visits—cue Reddit rage and privacy panic. Docs love less typing; patients want to know where their voice notes live. Imagine sitting down for a prescription refill and getting a five‑page AI waiver first. Would you sign or ghost?
💭Let us know what you think in the comment section.
🕵️♀️Case in Point
Ambient AI Scribes—From Hype to Hard Numbers
Background & Problem: The Permanente Medical Group (Northern California) rolled out ambient AI scribes across clinics. A NEJM Catalyst analysis found they saved the equivalent of 1,794 physician workdays in one year and improved physician–patient communication. The AMA reports 2.5 million uses, 15,000 hours saved—less pajama‑time charting, more actual care. Clinicians drowning in EHR clicks lose joy (and accuracy). Burnout rates soar, retention tanks, and patients feel ignored while docs type. Canadian providers report the same: documentation overload, fragmented workflows, limited support staff.
The Solution:
Pilot, Don’t Pray: Tested multiple vendors across specialties (see Cleveland Clinic’s “bake‑off” of five products).
Measure Everything: Pulled Epic data, provider surveys, and patient feedback—not just vendor demos.
Governance & Privacy: Clear consent scripts, deletion policies, and compliance reviews (sound familiar, Other Siders?).
The Outcome:
How We Can Help: This isn’t theoretical—strategic execution is everything. If you're considering AI scribes, here’s how we partner with you:
Strategy & Business Case
Quantify time saved, burnout reduction, and ROI to secure leadership commitment.Vendor Bake-Off Design
Align use cases, scoring rubrics, consent scripts, and evaluation criteria to fit your workflows.Privacy, Security & PIAs
Draft consent language, map data flows, and ensure compliance with Canadian privacy laws.Workflow Redesign & Change Management
Model current vs. future states, train clinicians, and manage stakeholder expectations smoothly.Implementation PMO
Set up governance structures, vendor SLAs, onboarding playbooks, and clinician support systems.Measurement & Reporting
Build dashboards to track adoption, note quality, clinician well-being, and pilot success.
📈What’s Trending🔥
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💬 Your Voice Matters Most
We love hearing from you, Other Siders! What healthcare challenges are you facing? Which topics would you like us to cover in future editions? Did any of this week's news items particularly resonate with your experience? click the "Reply" button. Your input shapes our content and helps us deliver the insights you need most!