NewsNews

1

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○THE SOCIETY OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS OF CANADA

MAY 2001

SOGC Clinical Guidelines 2

Helping you help your patients 3

Maincert™ Credits 4

Millenium Technology 4

A look at two CMEs 5

Foundation News 8

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

IN THIS ISSUE

EDITORIAL

New Step in Screening for Cervical CancerUpdate from the National CancerInstitute, Maryland, USA

Testing for the human papillomavirus(HPV) can help health providers andwomen decide what to do about an of-ten perplexing issue: how to manage themild abnormalities known as ASCUS(atypical squamous cells of undeter-mined significance) that often show upon Pap tests.

Up to now, women and theirdoctors have had no way to tell whichASCUS abnormalities will go away bythemselves and which require immedi-ate attention. New findings from aNational Cancer Institute (NCI) studysuggest that HPV testing is highlysensitive in identifying women withASCUS who have precancer or cancer.The study appears in the February 21st

issue of the Journal of the NationalCancer Institute.

“HPV testing is a viable option toconsider when deciding what to

do about ASCUS,” says DianeSolomon, MD, NCI’s co-principalinvestigator for the ASCUS/LSIL(low-grade squamous intraepithelial le-sions) Triage Study (ALTS). Shealso noted that repeat Pap testing orreferral to colposcopy (examination witha magnifying instrument) remainoptions for women with an ASCUS Paptest result.

The HPV test identified about 96percent of women with ASCUS whowere found on colposcopy to have high-grade abnormalities. The study foundthat about 5-10 percent of women withASCUS Pap results had underlyingprecancer or, rarely, cancer.

“One objective of the ALTS was todetermine whether HPV testing couldsort out which women with ASCUS Paptest results would need immediate at-tention,” says NCI’s co-principal inves-tigator for ALTS, Mark Schiffman, MD.“The findings suggest that women witha positive HPV test following an

ASCUS result require further evaluationto find those who have a precancerouscondition. For those with a negativeHPV test, there is strong reassurancethat a cancer precursor is not present.”

NCI began ALTS in 1996 to testthree management strategies forASCUS (repeat Pap testing, colposcopyand HPV triage). Because it is difficultto tell which women with ASCUS haveserious underlying abnormalities, thetopic has been a major issue in cervicalcancer screening.

ALTS included about 5,000 womenwith ASCUS or LSILs, a slightly moredefinite abnormality. Cost-effectivenessand quality-of-life analyses for each ofthe ASCUS management options willfollow when the ALTS long-termfollow-up data are available.

For further information, readers aredirected to the NCI’s Web site, http://cancertrials.nci.nih.gov/types/alts/index.html.

International Women’s Health Symposium:Reducing Maternal MortalityLiette Perron, Program Officer

Again this year, the SOGC will holdan International Women’s HealthSymposium during its Annual ClinicalMeeting (ACM). The all day event, tobe held on Thursday, June 14, at theDelta Hotel in St. John’s, will providea national and an international perspec-tive of the efforts made to reducematernal mortality worldwide.

The confirmed speakers includeDr. Jerker Liljestrand, Lead Health Spe-cialist, The World Bank, and Dr. LindsayEdouard, Senior Reproductive HealthOfficer, United Nations Population

Fund (UNFPA). It is hoped that MariaMinna, Minister for International Co-operation, will also be able to join usfor the event.

For the first time, a number ofclinical issues related to internationalobstetrics-gynaecology will also beaddressed within the symposium. Theseinclude: HIV/AIDS in Pregnancy,Symphysiotomy: Is There a Role for Itin Obstetrics?, Skilled Attendance atBirth and Cervical Cancer Screening inLow Resource Countries.

For more information about theday’s program, please refer to theACM’s Preliminary Program which is

also available on our Web site(www.sogc.org). A reminder, registrationis required for the symposium.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

2

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President Dr. Thirza SmithSaskatoon City HospitalSaskatoon, SK

Past President Dr. Robert GauthierSte-Justine HospitalMontréal, QC

President Elect Dr. Jan ChristilawPeace Arch HospitalWhite Rock, BC

Executive Dr. André B. LalondeVice-President SOGC National Office

Ottawa, ON

Acting Executive Dr. J. Kenneth MilneVice-President SOGC National Office

Ottawa, ON

Treasurer Dr. Daniel BlouinUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrooke, QC

Vice-Presidents Dr. Garth ChristieDr. Everett Chalmers HospitalFredericton, NB

Dr. Donna FedorkowMcMaster University HospitalHamilton, ON

REGIONAL CHAIRS,ALTERNATE CHAIRS ANDOTHER REPRESENTATIVES

Western Region Dr. Michael BowGrey Nuns HospitalEdmonton, AB

Dr. David WilkieVancouver General HospitalVancouver, BC

Central Region Dr. Marilyn DavidsonRoyal University HospitalSaskatoon, SK

Dr. Michael HelewaSt. Boniface General HospitalWinnipeg, MB

Ontario Region Dr. Janice Ann WillettPrivate PracticeSault St. Marie, ON

Dr. Guylaine LefebvreSt. Michael’s HospitalToronto, ON

Québec Region Dr. Luc St-PierreGynaecology ClinicVictoriaville, QC

Dr. Gerald StanimirRoyal Victoria HospitalMontréal, QC

Atlantic Region Dr. Shelagh ConnorsQueen Elizabeth HospitalCharlottetown, PEI

Dr. Scott FarrellIWK Grace Health CentreHalifax, NS

Public Senator Lucie PépinRepresentative The Senate of Canada

Ottawa, ON

Junior Member Dr. Lynne McLeodRepresentative IWK Grace Health Centre

Halifax, NS

Associate MD Dr. Bruno LemieuxRepresentative LaSalle Pavillion

LaSalle, QC

Associate RN Ms. Maureen HeamanRepresentative Faculty of Nursing

University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB

APOG Dr. Carl NimrodChair, Dept. of Ob/GynUniversity of OttawaOttawa, ON

COUNCIL 2000-2001

SOGC Clinical PracticeGuidelinesDenise Massey, Clinical Practice Guidelines Coordinator

As of January 1st, 2001, we are no longer distributing copies of recent Clinical PracticeGuidelines with the SOGC News. This is mainly due to the fact that all our Guidelines arenow available on our Web site at www.sogc.org.

The process is quite simple: access our Web site and click onto “Welcome”, click onto“Clinical Practice Guidelines” in the blue banner, click onto “Browse our Library” in thethird paragraph. This will take you to the guideline title page, listed in numerical orderunder each responsible Clinical Practice Committee. Find the guideline you want and clickon the title; you will bring up the file and thus be able to print a copy. If you have anyproblems with this process, please contact Denise at dmassey@sogc.com.

Listed below are the guidelines published from January 2000 to April 2001. In nextmonth’s issue of the SOGC News, we will list the guidelines published prior to January2000.

No. 85 Management of Low Malignant Potential Tumour of the Ovary OncologyJanuary 2000

No. 86 Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer in Women Oncologywith Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding February 2000

No. 87 Lesbian Health Guidelines Gynaecology/Sexual & SocialIssuesMarch 2000

No. 88 Prevention and Management of Postpartum Haemorrhage ObstetricsApril 2000

No. 89 Attendance at Labour and Delivery - Guidelines for Obstetrical Care ObstetricsMay 2000

No. 90 Antenatal Fetal Assessment Maternal-FetalJune 2000

No. 91 Management of Twin Pregnancies (Part 1) - Consensus Statement Maternal-FetalJuly 2000

No. 92 Emergency Postcoital Contraception GynaecologyJuly 2000

No. 93 Management of Twin Pregnancies (Part 2) - Consensus Statement Maternal-FetalAugust 2000

No. 94 Injectable Medroxyprogesterone Acetate for Contraception (CO) GynaecologyAugust 2000

No. 95 Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Maternal-Fetal/in Obstetrics Obstetrics

September 2000

No. 96 Reproductive Care of Women Living with Hepatitis C Infection Infectious DiseaseOctober 2000

No. 97 Surgical Management of an Adnexal Mass Suspicious for Malignancy SOGC/GOC/SCCPolicy & PracticeNovember 2000

No. 98 Minimizing Risks of Laparoscopy (CO) Medico-LegalNovember 2000

No. 99 Pregnancy and Parental Leave in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynaecology Junior MembersResidency Programmes (CO) November 2000

No. 100 A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples: Aboriginal HealthExecutive Summary December 2000

A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples: Aboriginal HealthThe Sociocultural Context of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada December 2000

A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples: Aboriginal HealthHealth Issues Affecting Aboriginal Peoples January 2001

A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples: Aboriginal HealthCross Cultural Understanding February 2001

A Guide for Health Professionals Working with Aboriginal Peoples: Aboriginal HealthAboriginal Health Resources March 2001

No. 101 Mode of Delivery for Pregnant Women Infected by the Human Infectious DiseaseImmunodeficiency Virus April 2001

CO = Committee Opinion

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

3

CME Accreditation of the Best Practice andResearch in Clinical Obstetrics & GynaecologyProgramS. Arulkumaran,Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The University of Nottingham, UK, Visiting Professor, National University of Singapore

Best Practice and Research in ClinicalObstetrics & Gynaecology was formerlyknown as Bailliere’s Best Practice and Re-search in Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology.Six issues comprised of ten chapters are

published annually, each of which is editedby a well known international Guest Editor.An internationally renowned editorial boardof 21 members from Canada, USA, UK,Australia, Europe, Asia and Oceania

select the important topics in the field andchoose the Guest Editor.

Over the past two years, many changeshave been made to make the issues moreattractive and worthwhile to the reader.‘Practice Points’ and ‘Research Agenda’have been added to all chapters starting withIssue 3 (2000). Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs) and answers were introduced as ofIssue 1 (2000). This has been quite popularand readers requested the possibility of us-ing these for CME accreditation. Based onthe request of the postgraduate Colleges,we have introduced MCQs for CME ac-creditation. Thus, MCQs are now includedin each issue and the answers are printed inthe following issue.

By participating in this educational exer-cise, SOGC members can obtain creditsunder Section 2 of the Royal College’sMaintenance of Certification Program(MAINCERT TM). Other postgraduatebodies which have accepted this journal forCME accreditation include the Hong KongCollege of Obstetricians & Gynaecologistsand the Royal Australian and New ZealandCollege of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists.

Issues published in 2000:

1. Emergencies in Obstetrics & Gynaecology

2. Urinary Incontinence

3. Chronic Pelvic Pain

4. Diagnosis of Genetic Defects in the Fetus

5. Implantation and Miscarriage

6. Angiogenesis of the Reproductive Tract

Issues for 2001:

1. Caesarean Section - Current Practice

2. Palliative Care in Obstetrics& Gynaecology

3. Controversies in Endometrial Cancer

4. Care of the Critically Ill Patient

5. Human Papillomavirus

6. Drugs in Pregnancy

Issues can be ordered from the publishers:Harcourt Publishers Ltd.,Journals Marketing32, Jamestown Road,London NW 1 0YT, UKE-mail: journals@harcourt.comWeb site: www.harcourt- international.com/journals/beog

Helping you help yourpatientsSylvie Séguin, Publications Assistant

Consistent with its mission to promote optimalwomen’s health, the SOGC produces booklets and otherprinted information, in both languages, on a variety ofsubjects. These are available to SOGC members atreduced prices, and the funds collected cover the costsof producing, printing, storing and distributing thematerials. The SOGC does not make a profit fromthe sale of these materials.

Our “Let’s Talk About It!” series includes fivebooklets:• Menopause: Let’s Talk About It!

• Osteoporosis: Let’s Talk About It!

• Heart Disease: Let’s Talk About It!

• Hormones & Breast Cancer: Let’s Talk About It!

• Drug Therapy for Menopause and Osteoporosis:Let’s Talk About It!Each booklet describes its respective subject matter

in plain language and includes risk factors, tips to reducerisks and to maintain good health and a list of availableresources, both publications and organizations. Theycontain the latest developments with respect to newmedications, as well as eye-opening statistics. Thesebooklets are a valuable tool enabling women to takeresponsibility for their health.

A number of pregnancy-related resources are alsoavailable:• Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy;

• HIV Testing in Pregnancy;

• Group B Streptococcus (GBS) Infection in Pregnancy, and;

• Bringing Baby Safely Into the World, a 5-brochure obstetrical package.Providing women with the most up-to-date information so that they may make

informed decisions concerning their health is a goal that is shared by physicians andthe SOGC. Providing printed materials which your patients can take home is one wayto empower them.

The booklets are available at a cost of $25 - $35 per pack of 50. To orderyour booklets on line, visit www.sogc.org, or call our toll-free publications line at1-877-519-7999. An order form is enclosed in this issue for your convenience. Ordersmust be prepaid. Please allow three weeks for delivery.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

4

PROGRAMS

57th Annual Clinical MeetingDelta HotelSt. John's, NewfoundlandJune 14 to 19, 2001

14th Québec CMEMont Tremblant, QuébecSeptember 27 to 29, 2001

20th Ontario CMEMarriott Eaton CentreToronto, OntarioNovember 29 to December 1, 2001

COURSES

ALARM CourseToronto, OntarioMay 4 and 5, 2001

GESTA Course (French)Mont Ste-Anne, QuébecMay 27 and 28, 2001

ALARM CourseSt. John’s, NewfoundlandJune 13 and 14, 2001

ALARM CourseNiagara-on-the-Lake, OntarioSeptember 6 and 7, 2001

ALARM CourseMoncton, New BrunswickSeptember 23 and 24, 2001

ALARM CourseKamloops, British ColumbiaOctober 20 and 21, 2001

ALARM CourseToronto, OntarioNovember 17 and 18, 2001+ Instructor CourseNovember 19, 2001

ALARM CourseToronto, OntarioDecember 2 and 3, 2001

(Cities and dates subject to change)

SOGC CME EVENTS

PLATINUM

GOLD

ACM SPONSORS

Berlex Canada Inc.Eli Lilly Canada Inc.Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.Pfizer Canada Inc.Pharmacia Canada Inc.Wyeth-Ayerst Canada Inc.

Merck Frosst Canada & Co.

The SOGC’S 57th ACM…The Countdown is On!Isabelle Denis,Meeting Coordinator

The SOGC has invested alot of time and effort toensure that the 57th AnnualClinical Meeting from June14 to 19 will be a smashingsuccess. We are workingclosely with the HostCommittee and manyNewfoundlanders to offeryou a wonderful experience in St. John’s!

The SOGC is pleased to announce thatregistration is well under way and manydelegates are taking advantage of the earlyregistration fees. As of March 30, 324delegates had already registered. For thosewho haven’t yet done so, you have untilMay 25th to benefit from these special rates.If you still require a room after May 11th,you can call Tourism Newfoundlandand Labrador at (709) 729-2830 or

1-800- 563-NFLD or visit their Web site atwww.gov.nf.ca/tourism to find out the roomavailability of other hotels in St. John’s.

Many social and leisure activities arepopular with the participants, even close tothe point of being sold out. Act quickly ifyou want to combine work with pleasure anddiscover Newfoundland’s treasures.

The SOGC staff and all their supportersare looking forward to meeting you inNewfoundland next month. See you there!

Millenium Technology CourseMarc-Yvon Arsenault, M.Sc., MDSOGCNet Committee

vivid PowerPoint presentations that includemultimedia material, and how to accessevidence-based information while you doyour slideshows. Personnal Digital Assistants(PDA’s or more commonly known as Palmheld devices) and their use in the medicalcommunity will be introduced, andupcoming voice-recognition technology willbe demonstrated.

Join us and register soon as the numberof entries is limited to 40 participants. Pleasenote that as this is an extremely popularcourse, a registration fee of $ 150 is requiredin order to guarantee your registration. Thisadditional deposit will be reimbursed on siteat the completion of the course. Lunch andtransportation to and from the MemorialUniversity Campus will be provided. Theratio of faculty to participants will be 1 to4-5, and each partcipant will have his owncomputer station with a live Internetconnection with necessary software installed.

For more information on this or anyother program offered at the ACM, pleasevisit our Web site at www.sogc.org.

Come surf the summer icebergs with us!

The next Millenium Technology Coursewill be held June 15th 2001, during theAnnual Clinical Meeting of the SOGC inSt.-John’s. Here’s an exceptional opportu-nity for you to gather with your peers, alongwith a highly knowledgeable faculty, to dis-cover and embrace new technology that in-fluences your medical practice.

Topics that will be covered are Internetbrowsing, e-mail accounts, hot links, searchengines and Medline and Cochranedatabases. You will also learn how to make

ACM 2001The Hotel Newfoundland has a new name:

The Fairmont Newfoundland

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

5

ICME Tennis Tournament WinnersCharmaine Roye, Organizing Committee

The Annual SOGC ICME Tennis Tourna-ment was held in sunny Costa Rica in earlyMarch during the 14th International CMEProgram. Many thanks to Duchesnay Inc.for kindly providing trophies for the win-ners in all categories and for their unflaggingsupport of the annual tournament since itsinception almost a decade ago.

In men’s doubles, Eric Bisson and JohnThe teamed up to defeat Mike Bow and FerdPauls in an exciting match requiring a tie-

breaker to determinethe winner. Brantford’sCharmaine Roye andKelly Anderson, apediatrician fromEdmonton, won thewomen’s doublestitle over finalistsSally Jorgenson fromBridgewater, NS andLaura Chamberlainfrom Winchester,Kentucky. Mixed dou-bles champions wereKelly Anderson andMichael Bow fromEdmonton over Lauraand Dick Chamberlainfrom Kentucky.

The women’s singles final was an all-Ontario event, won by Charmaine Roye overSharon O’Brien. Michael Bow collected hissecond trophy of the tournament by win-ning the men’s singles in a heated matchover Eduardo Berger from Ottawa.

The 2001 West/Central CME Meetinga great success!Carole Brault, Program Officer andIsabelle Denis, Meeting Coordinator

The West/Central CME Meeting that washeld from March 22-24, 2001 at theFairmont Banff Springs Hotel received verypositive comments from participants, facultyand sponsors, specifically in terms of thescientific program andthe overall organizationof the event.

For the first time thisyear, the SOGC used apreferred supplier for allits audio-visual needs.We received a lot ofpositive feedback andeveryone was happyto have audio-visualtechnicians on site. TheSOGC is lookingforward to continued collaboration withAvant-Garde Video Inc. over the next threeyears.

Despite the fact that the West/Centralregion didn’t receive much snow this year,downhill skiing conditions were good atLake Louise. Moreover, those who decidedto combine work with pleasure had a chance

to browse among the various boutiques inthe village of Banff, go to the Hot Springsor relax in the hotel’s outdoor heated pool.Others seized the opportunity topamper themselves at the Solace Spa, tasteAlberta’s beef or simply admire the scenicbeauty of the Canadian Rockies.

See you next year!

Thanks are extended to the organizingteam of Bow, Pauls and Roye and to all theplayers who were enthusiastic in theirparticipation and cooperated with a tightschedule which often competed against themany other activities in Costa Rica.

Charmaine Roye and Kelly Anderson

Eric Bisson, John The, Ferd Pauls and Michael Bow

Thank youto the International

and West/Central CMEProgram Sponsors

3M Canada Co.Alza Canada

Berlex Canada Inc.Duchesnay Inc.

Eli Lilly Canada Inc.Fournier Pharma Inc.Janssen-Ortho Inc.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.

Organon Canada Ltd.Pfizer Canada Inc.

Pharmacia Canada Inc.Schering Canada Inc.

Wyeth-Ayerst Canada Inc.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

6

9th Annual Symposium:New Developments in PrenatalDiagnosis and Medical GeneticsMay 16, 2001, Mount Sinai Hospital600 University Avenue, Toronto, ONCredits : MAINPRO1-M1 credits bythe CFPC, Maintenance of CertificationProgram of the RCPSC, Category Icredits of AMAFor information and registration :Continuing Education, Facultyof Medicine, University of TorontoToronto, ON M5S 3E2Tel: (416) 978-2719Fax: (416) 971-2200E-mail: kristin.parsonson@utoronto.caWebsite : www.cme.utoronto.ca

North American Society forPediatric and AdolescentGynecology (NASPAG)Annual Clinical MeetingDelta Chelsea Inn, Toronto, ONMay 18-20, 2001Information: www.naspag.org

Advances in Fetal & PerinatalCardiology 25-26 may, 2001The Sheraton Centre Hotel, TorontoInformation: Diane Pettai,Tel.: (416) 813-7850Fax: (416) 813-7880E-mail: diane.pettai@sickkids.on.caWebsite: www.sickkids.on.ca/fetalcentre/AdvancesInFetalPerinatalCardiology.asp

3rd International Meeting onRecent Advances in Gynaecologi-cal Surgery (IMRAGS)Church House Conference CentreWestminster, London, UKMay 30 & 31, 2001Info: IMRAGS SecretariatTel: +44(0)20 8661 0877Fax: +44(0)20 8661 9036Email: info@conforg.com

World Congress of PerinatalMedicine September 17 to 23, 2001Barcelona, Spain

13th World Congress: InternationalSociety for the Study of Hyper-tension in Pregnancy June 2-5, 2002Westin Harbour Castle, TorontoFor Information and Call for Papers:c/o Continuing Education, Faculty ofMedicine, University of Toronto150 College Street, Suite 121Toronto, ON M5S 3E2Telephone: (416) 978-2719Fax: (416) 971-2200e-mail: kristin.parsonson@utoronto.caWeb page: www.cme.utoronto.ca/PDF/ISSHP.pdf

NATIONAL ANDINTERNATIONAL

MEETINGS

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

7

Members’ Corner:

Getting Your Practice OnlineDean McNeill, MD Management

We all know the doctors of the future. They have become a con-vention in science fiction films—carrying little gadgets that providethem with all the information they need, serve as communicationdevices, and heal almost any injury without even breaking the skin.

So how do we measure up in the year 2001? Well, we have yet toachieve the latter goal, but the first two are no longer solely in therealm of fiction.

The heart of your information centre remains, of course, theoffice computer system. It doesn’t need to be glamorous to be highlyuseful and efficient. A small medical practice can easily rely on asingle desktop PC, which today can pack so much power that youwill likely not have to upgrade for a long time. The driving forcebehind computer upgrades is often either a desire for more speedor a need to keep your hardware compatible with your favouriteoffice or medical applications. Neither of these reasons become anecessity as quickly as the commercials would have you believe.

Medium-to-large practices could possibly benefit from havingeither more than one PC, or a slightly more complex setup, withone “server” and a number of “clients”. This technobabble simplymeans you’ve got one central PC (the same physical size as youraverage PC) and several other PCs hooked up to it to form a net-work. All clients can then share information with each other, aswell as with a database kept on the central server. This system canbe very useful in a practice that has more than one person runningthe reception desk, and where multiple doctors need to share partsof the database.

Important software for a medical practice includes the same ba-sic applications needed by any business, such as word processing,spreadsheet/database applications, task managers, and basic account-ing software. Office applications are often packaged together, mak-ing them easy to purchase and set up. Good office software isessential—but boring. Let’s get into the fun stuff.

The office system is your mothership: an extremely powerfulplace to store information and, through the Internet, search forinformation in the wide world of cyberspace. But you wouldn’twant to lug it around from room to room, and that’s where thesci-fi gadgets come in.

Hand-held computers are becoming increasingly popular amongdoctors. In a busy practice, owning a hand-held PC is like buyingyour first microwave oven. You remember living life quite wellbeforehand, but now that you have one, you wonder how you evergot along without it.

Hand-helds are not only portable, but are now available withwireless technology so you can access your email and Hand-held-friendly sites on the Web. In other words, it’s a communicationdevice. But there’s more to it than that.

Medical software is available that is specifically designed for thesepalm PCs. Applications that keep track of patients, such asPatientKeeper (www.patientkeeper.com) and Patient Tracker(www.handheldmed.com) can be great for managing patientinformation. Dosage calculators are also quite popular, and thereis also a fair amount of storage for other reference materials onpalm PCs. Hand-helds can be compatible with your office PC,allowing you to access your databases as well, although the amountof information you can store is obviously much more limited thanon a desktop PC.

Watch for further articles on the latest technology for doctorsin upcoming issues of the SOGC News. In the meantime, feel freeto boldly go where the medical technology awaits you—the localcomputer store. You may find many of your colleagues already there.

Dr. Tommaso Falcone, MDwas recently appointed Profes-sor & Chairman of the Depart-ment of Obstetrics andGynecology at the ClevelandClinic Foundation.

Dr. Falcone was a graduateof McGill University medicalschool. He was on staff at theRoyal Victoria Hospital,McGill University until 1994.He moved to the ClevelandClinic Foundation in 1995 asDirector of ReproductiveEndocrinology and Infertility.Congratulations Dr. Falcone,and best wishes!

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

SOGC News is produced and publishedby the SOGC through an educational grant

from Berlex Canada Inc.

OB/GYN WANTEDKootenay Lake Regional Hospital,Nelson, British Columbia, isaccepting applications fromCanadian trained and registeredFellowship Ob/Gyn to provideservices to a population of 45,000+.One to two operating days/week and abusy referral practice.Exceptional lifestyle opportunity in anarea described as a “recreationalplayground.” The city of Nelson islocated on Kootenay Lake in theSelkirk Mountains in southeastern BC and is acknowledgedas an arts and cultural centre. Selected as Canada’s “BestSmall Ski Town,” and the “Best Small Arts Community inNorth America.”Excellent schools, community college, and recreationalprogramming.Visit Nelson’s Web site at http://www.city.nelson.bc.ca forfurther information or check Health Match BC’s Web site athttp://healthmatchbc.org.To discuss this practice opportunity, please contact:Miriam Ramsden, Executive Assistant,Medical Recruitment / Selection Committee,Kootenay Lake Regional Hospital,#402, 3 View, Nelson, BC, CANADA V1L 2V1.Fax: 250-354-2320;Email: miriam.ramsden@nahc.hnet.bc.ca

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

8

NewsNewsThe SOGC News is published on a monthly

basis. Comments and contributions arewelcome and should be forwarded to:

SOGC News780 Echo DriveOttawa, Ontario

K1S 5R7

Tel: (613) 730-4192 or1-800-561-2416

Fax: (613) 730-4314E-mail: lbray-levac@sogc.com

Foundation NewsBy Robyn Harris, Executive Director

RESIDENT RESEARCH AWARDSThe Foundation is proud to announce thefirst recipients of the award for the bestresident research project at the 16 medicalschools across Canada. Dr. Stephanie Fisherof Queen’s University, Dr. Sarah Healey ofMemorial University of Newfoundland,Dr. Mangi Tauh of the University ofSaskatchewan, and Dr. Jaco Scheeres of theUniversity of Manitoba have all received a$200 award for their continuing education.We will announce other recipients, asannual research days take place acrossCanada.

IN RECOGNITION OF YOURSUPPORT . . .It is with sincere gratitude that theFoundation acknowledges the followingdonors of 2000.

Supporting researchfor the healthof women.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

PATRON

Dr. Shirish Sheth

BENEFACTOR

Garry and Lynn Krepart Dr. Thirza Smith

SUSTAINER

Dr. George Allan Dr. Thomas Baskett Dr. Richard BourkeDr. Michael Bow Dr. Zohra Docrat Dr. Nancy KentDr. John Lewis Janet MacMillan Dr. and Mrs. Robert ReidDr. D. R. J. Small Dr. Roger Turnell Dr. Michiel Van den Hof

FRIEND

Dr. Saskia Acton Dr. Elias Bartellas Dr. Sylvie BeaulieuDr. Joan Becker Dr. Alfred Bent Dr. Jocelyn BérubéDr. Gargi Bhatia Dr. Jennifer Blake Dr. Karine BoisvertDr. Marie-Chantale Brien Dr. Lorie Bruce Dr. Danny CarruthersDr. Kenneth Chan Dr. Jan E. Christilaw Dr. Terrance DoranBrenda Dushinski, RN Dr. Saad Elkelani Dr. Leonard EvensonDr. Scott Farrell Dr. Andrew Fisher Dr. Michel FortierSandra Fraser, RN Dr. Rhinehart Friesen Dr. Karen Fung Kee FungDr. Robert Gauthier Dr. Walter Hannah Joan Harbeck, RNRobyn and Eric Harris Dr. Cheryl Hillyer Dr. Sheila HughesDr. Cecil Inglis Dr. Brenda Anne Johnston Dr. William G. JohnstonDr. Khorshed Karai-Jones Dr. Stephanie Klam Dr. Lucie LaroucheDr. Frederique Latraverse Dr. Frances Lim Merry Little, RNDr. Derek Lobb Dr. Thomas Mainprize Dr. Gerald Paul MarquetteDr. Pierre Mikhail Dr. Daniel Moreau Dr. Suzanne MorrisDr. Anjali Oberai Dr. Nathalie Ouellet Dr. Diane ProvencherVeronika Pulley, RN Dr. Elsa Quiros-Calinoiu Dr. Bryan RichardsonDr. Stuart Robinson Dr. Helen Robson Dr. Vera RosolowichDr. Martine Roy Dr. Catherine Rublee Dr. Valerie RychelDr. Barry Sanders Dr. Sikhor Sett Dr. Heather StruckettDr. Danièle Tremblay Dr. Ian Van Praagh Dr. Jacques VigeantDr. Rory Windrim Dr. Kenneth Yamamoto Dr. Edward Younglai

MANY THANKS TOOUR CORPORATE SPONSORS OF 2000.

DUCHESNAY INC. NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC.BERLEX CANADA INC. PFIZER CANADA INC.RÉNO-DÉPÔT INC. SCHERING CANADA INC.SUPERIOR MEDICAL LIMITED. WYETH-AYERST CANADA INC.

AND THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING UNIVERSITIESTHAT HAVE SUPPORTED THE FOUNDATION’S GRANTS

PROGRAM FOR THE 2001 COMPETITION.

Memorial University of Newfoundland University of Western OntarioOttawa Hospital/University of Ottawa Queen’s UniversityMcGill University Dalhousie UniversityUniversity of Manitoba Université de SherbrookeUniversity of Saskatchewan Université de MontréalUniversity of Calgary