December 2024
December Newsletter Highlights
Get Your Fully Funded AI Scribe License - Apply Now!
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Updates
Canada Post Service Disruption & Cancer Screening
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Toronto Public Health Updates
Respiratory Illness Updates & Resources
Digital Health Updates
Ontario Health Updates
ADAPT - M Project
Continuing Medical Education
Practice Support & Patient Resources
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Funded by Scotiabank in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and MD Financial Management Inc. (MD), the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto and the East Toronto Family Practice Network will support family practices in adopting Ambient Scribe technology as part of the Health Care Unburdened Grant (HCUG) program
Find out more and register today!
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Updates
1. BEYFORTUS Immunization at Michael Garron Hospital:
MGH is hosting a RSV vaccine clinic for children(<8 months) born in the MGH catchment area. Please email RSVClinic@tehn.ca to book appointments.
2. RSV Second Season Dosing Update:
Please see update below for children who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease entering their second RSV season.
As per Ministry of Health's recommendation, all second season RSV patients should be getting administered a one-time 200mg IM dose.
Please see reference documents from Ministry of Health statement & BEYFORTUS below:
3. Toronto Public Health Update: Beyfortus® supply will continue to be received in a phased delivery schedule throughout November and December and quantities ordered by providers may need to be reduced. More information.
Canada Post Service Disruption & Cancer Screening
Canada Post announced a labour disruption starting November 15, 2024. This service disruption will affect the delivery of cancer screening correspondence letters and the
mailing and return of ColonCancerCheck (CCC) fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits. Please see the Canada Post Service Disruption key messages here.
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Sent on behalf of the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health
Ontario is experiencing increased Mycoplasma pneumoniae activity, especially in young and school aged children. M. pneumoniae tends to occur in late summer and early fall, with cyclical increases every three to seven years. Total specimens tested, total positive specimens, and percent positivity have increased compared to same period last year. Activity has remained high since August.
Common symptoms of M. pneumoniae infection are fever, headache, and a slowly worsening cough. Activity is highest in those aged 10-19 years, and they may present with prolonged fever and cough, progressive shortness of breath and fatigue, and oxygen desaturation. Kids 9 and younger may present with milder symptoms including prolonged dry cough for weeks; worse at night and difficulty sleeping. If they also present with wheezing or work of breathing, please consider managing co-morbidities including asthma. Those with pre-existing lung conditions may be at higher risk of more severe disease.
Key messages
Most patients with a mild M. pneumoniae infection will recover without antibiotics
For patients with suspected or confirmed M. pneumoniae infection who aren't improving on macrolides, consider using a second-line antibiotic regimen, such as doxycycline or levofloxacin.Amoxicillin is the first-line antibiotic in this age group to treat bacterial pneumonia. However, M. pneumoniae is treated with a macrolide. If your patient has worsening symptoms (excluding isolated cough) after 72 hours of amoxicillin or is not getting better in 5-7 days, consider testing and/or switching antibiotics.
To order testing supplies from PHO, complete the Requisition for Specimen Containers and Supplies and fax completed requisitions to your closest PHO laboratoryBe aware of how to test for M. pneumoniae, using PHO’s testing kit or their local / institutional laboratory practice.
While there is no vaccine for M. pneumoniae, continue to promote the recommended vaccines for other respiratory pathogens for all patients, based on age and health status, including the annual influenza vaccine, an updated COVID-19 vaccine, an RSV vaccine (if eligible), and a pneumococcal vaccine (at age 65).
On November 12, 2024, Public Health Ontario shared information with TPH RE: an increase in Mycoplasma pneumoniae activity in Ontario. More information
Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) has developed a tool to support family physicians in managing this. Access the tool.
Toronto Public Health News
1. TPH is investigating an increase in cases of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Shigella sonnei, particularly among the underhoused population in Toronto. More information.
2. Fluzone® High-Dose Quadrivalent (QIV-HD) is Out of Stock at the Ontario Government Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Service (OGPMSS). More information.
3. On November 13, 2024, the Public Health Agency of Canada released a statement confirming the first domestically acquired human case of H5N1 avian influenza in Canada. More information.
Respiratory Illness Updates & Resources
Ontario Health is sharing a respiratory illness season updatewhich includes information about regional virtual urgent care programs and more. As a reminder, OCFP is resharing its resources with information on COVID-19, influenza, RSV, invasive pneumococcal disease and pertussis.
EMR Searches for PS Suite and OSCAR Pro users have been developed by eHealth Centre of Excellence and Ontario Health to help identify patients who would benefit from RSV immunizations. Directions for Accuro QHR users are also available
Digital Health Updates
eReferral Expansion Updates
As part of the continued growth of the Ontario eReferral network, Ontario Health has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for other eReferral platforms to support sending and receiving eReferrals across the province
New eReferral receiving sites continue to go live (specialist clinics, diagnostic imaging facilities etc.) and will continue to be added to the Healthmap
And, if you’re ready to start sending eReferrals? You can start here to begin the process, and you can also reach out to us at contact@eastfpn.org for more information on how we can support your onboarding.
Ontario Health Updates
A Soft Tissue Sarcoma Diagnosis Pathway has been developed for the use of primary care providers by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario).
The Avoiding Diabetes After Pregnancy Together with Moms (ADAPT-M) Program
The Avoiding Diabetes After Pregnancy Together with Moms (ADAPT-M), is a lifestyle modification program aimed at reducing the risk of future type 2 diabetes after GDM. This program is being implemented in 3 Ontario health care settings in April 2025. In preparation, the ADAPT-M team wants to explore the perspectives of primary care providers regarding their roles and responsibilities related to postpartum GDM care and their input on a transition pathway between prenatal and postpartum care. The total time commitment expected is a 1 hour zoom with the research staff. A stipend will be provided for your time commitment. If you are interested in participating, please reach out to us at contact@eastfpn.org.
For more information about the program, click here
Continuing Medical Education
SCOPE CME - Introduction of HPV Ontario Cervical Screening Program 2025 and Funny Looking Cervix - Now what?
A Big Thank You!!
Thanks to our distinguished speaker: Dr. Meghan Brown for a successful SCOPE CME - Introduction to HPV, Ontario Cervical Screening Program 2025
If you have missed the CME, please find the recording HERE and the presentation slides HERE
Please note that the certificate of participation has not been distributed yet because the CERT+ website is down until December 16th.
If you have any questions, please contact Ghada Youssef, SCOPE Project Manager at ghada.youssef@tehn.ca
Primary Care Open Forum Summary
On November 13th, 2024 EasT-FPN organized a Primary Care Open forum featuring MGH's Infectious Diseases Division hosted by Dr. Jeff Powis. Click here to read the summary of the session.
ECHO Webinars - UHN
Project ECHO offered by UHN offers online medical education to primary care providers and connects them to inter professional teams.
To view all programs and to register, CLICK HERE.
eHealth Centre of Excellence
Topic: Systematically Reimagining Administrative Load in Family Practice
When: Tuesday, January 28 at 12:25 p.m.
Co-hosts: Dr. Joanna Willms, Family Physician, Willow Family Health Team and Connor Kemp, Performance and Evaluation Lead, Frontenac Lennox and Addington OHT
Sign Up for 2025! Primary Care Cancer Connection Lunch and Learn Series
Tune in virtually the last Thursday of every month (except summer and December) from 12:15-12:45 pm to stay connected with our cancer system and get free CME credits! Sessions are brief, informative talks that will keep you up to date on key changes in screening and cancer care.
Topics for 2025 include:
Jan 30: Breast screening in 40-49 year olds
Feb 27: Thyroid nodules – what to do
Mar 27: What you need to know about the new HPV cervical screening program
Apr 24: Psycho-social impacts of cancer
May 29: HPV cervical screening – follow-up of abnormal results
Sept 25: Prostate cancer – screening use of MRI, who gets surveillance, and who gets treatment?
Oct 30: Lung cancer review
Nov 27: Pearls for pain and symptom management
Sign up here!
Practice Support & Patient Resources
Click here for Ocular Prosthetics Fact Sheet and for a Ocular Prosthetics Referral Form.
Become an EasT-FPN member to receive clinical and practice support, and opportunities to engage with the East Toronto community. Please fill out the Membership application form to become a member.