Latest news with #ZainabAbdurrahman
Hamilton Spectator
14-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Not feeling well? Read this before you Google your symptoms
Don't diagnose yourself. That is the message from Ontario's doctors who are raising awareness that Google doesn't have a medical degree, miracle cures can't be found on TikTok and artificial intelligence (AI) often provides as much misinformation as fact. Alarmed by the rise in do-it-yourself (DIY) medicine , the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is warning that no matter how real it looks, quizzes can't diagnose illness, influencers don't have quick-and-easy secrets to good health and real harm can come from misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and using medication prescribed to someone else. 'When patients take health into their own hands and they actually implement some of these do-it-yourself treatments or remedies, unfortunately there are often consequences,' OMA president Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman said at a media briefing July 9. 'They can cause unnecessary harms, prolong symptoms or prolong them from actually getting the care they need.' It can be tempting to give in to posts and advertisements that appear to have immediate, accessible answers and are specifically targeted to your social media feeds based on your trends. 'At least one patient out of three will bring up some form of self-diagnosis or self-management,' North Bay psychiatrist Dr. Valerie Primeau said during the briefing. 'People are … looking for quick answers, and the internet is willing to try to provide those answers.' Doctors understand why patients increasingly want to take matters into their own hands at a time when an estimated 2.5 million Ontarians don't have a family physician and specialists can be hard to access. Many people don't have time to seek out medical care because they are working or caring for family members. Some don't trust the medical system or fear interacting with health-care providers. 'It's just so easy to get online and try and get information,' London radiation oncologist Dr. David D'Souza said at the briefing. 'When you're looking for hope, I think some of the things that … appeal to people are things that are all natural, treatments with very few or no unpleasant side effects, or they offer miraculous outcomes.' Doctors say they are now seeing medical DIY from tweens to seniors over age 80. But D'Souza has seen firsthand the danger posed by misinformation and DIY medicine, including delayed care, patients choosing treatment with no evidence behind it or even being convinced to turn away from proven medicine altogether. 'I had a young woman diagnosed with cervix cancer, and she was not ready to accept conventional treatment and decided she was going to pursue other remedies that she had heard about,' D'Souza said. 'She came back two years later, unfortunately, with her disease having progressed and spread and in a lot of pain. Unfortunately, our ability to control her cancer and give her a long-term good outcome was severely compromised.' Misdiagnosis is another major concern of turning to the internet for answers about what is causing symptoms, resulting in unnecessary treatments, undue stress or the real problem going undiagnosed. 'Some of the things that my colleagues and I have seen more in recent years is patients coming to us and saying … 'I saw a video on TikTok and it sounds like I have all the criteria, that must mean that I have this disorder,' Primeau said. 'If you think you have an illness, obviously that will increase anxiety … and you may not actually suffer from an illness.' Self-diagnosis has become a particular problem for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with quizzes popping up online — many are free, but some require payment — that purport to be accurate. 'We have inattention in general as a society right now, so it's just something that resonates a lot with us,' Primeau said. 'If I ask … 'Have you ever been distracted or had trouble with organization or answering all your emails?' I think most people are going to say, 'Yes,' and this is why I think there is a rising trend to self-diagnose.' But confirming ADHD as an adult requires a deep dive into the past, Primeau said. 'ADHD is a neurodevelopmental illness, and I think people forget that,' Primeau said. 'You technically have to have it in childhood before a certain age, and that is not portrayed in social media.' Some patients have even admitted to trying a friend or family member's medication because they believed they had the same illness. 'It's led to side effects,' Primeau said. 'That can be dangerous.' As the public gets more comfortable with using AI, doctors fear medical DIY will become more common, which is one of the reasons the OMA is raising the issue. 'I have patients now that talk to ChatGPT to get advice and to have a conversation,' Primeau said. 'If we don't address it now and help people navigate this, they will struggle.' The problem with turning to AI is that it provides 'partial truths and partial misinformation,' Toronto endocrinologist Dr. Alyse Goldberg said at the briefing. Online resources also aren't obligated to keep medical information confidential and may not safeguard patient privacy. When looking for medical information online, doctors recommend going to the websites of major hospital networks like Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare or the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. They also suggest turning to trusted organizations and agencies like the Canadian Cancer Society, Cancer Care Ontario, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Public Health Ontario or the OMA itself. 'It's probably difficult for members of the public to distinguish what would be reputable versus not,' Primeau said. 'I would always recommend seeking help from your family physician or a professional.' Doctors say to watch out for claims of cures never seen before or treatments kept hidden from the public. Be wary of overgeneralized videos and quizzes. Remember anecdotes are not the same as clinical trials, and what works for one patient may not be the right fit for another. 'I think in general, it's really hard in the sea of information to tell the difference,' Goldberg said. 'I always recommend (to) bring what you found to your primary care provider or a professional if you're able to, to make sure that you can tell what is appropriate and what isn't.' Doctors say they are now seeing medical DIY from tweens to seniors over age 80. 'We want to ensure that we are talking about this, we are addressing this because it is an important issue,' Abdurrahman said. 'We're going to have more and more people seeing this because social media is so pervasive in our day to day lives.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. 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Toronto Sun
09-07-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Ontario doctors alarmed by the rise of 'DIY medicine'
Patients are increasingly diagnosing and even treating themselves based on online advice. The results often aren't good. Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman is president of the Ontario Medical Association. Photo by John Lappa / Postmedia Patients are increasingly diagnosing and even treating themselves based on online advice, a trend that is raising alarm bells among Ontario doctors. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Ontario Medical Association held a briefing this week to warn about the rise of so-called DIY medicine, something doctors say is causing harm to patients and is likely to get worse. Earlier this year, the Canadian Medical Association reported results of a media survey that found more Canadians are turning to social media for medical advice at a time when many are struggling to access health care. The survey found that 62 per cent of Canadians have encountered health information they later found to be false or misleading — up eight per cent from a year earlier. Twenty three per cent of those surveyed reported having a negative health reaction after following online health advice. It is a trend that Ontario doctors see on a regular basis. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'In my experience, one patient out of three will bring up some form of self-diagnosis,' said Dr. Valerie Primeau, a psychiatrist from North Bay who leads inpatient and community programs for mental health and addictions. Among common self-diagnoses is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, something that is a rising focus of social media posts. 'People are looking for answers, and the internet is willing to provide those answers,' she said. Dr. Valerie Primeau, a psychiatrist from North Bay. Photo by OMA / Provided Primeau and other physicians taking part in the briefing acknowledged there are many reasons patients are increasingly looking to the internet for answers to their health questions — a lack of access to medical care and the growing reliance on the internet among them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She encourages her patients to talk to her about what they have read and seen. 'It can provide validation and a sense of community. It is important to take it into account if a patient brings it to your office, but I never encourage anyone to self-diagnose.' Dr. David D'Souza a radiation oncologist in London who leads clinical research into image-based treatments for cancer, said information and misinformation patients found online is a routine part of his practice. He has treated patients whose health suffered because of their reliance on information they saw on the internet, he said. Dr. David D'Souza, a radiation oncologist in London. Photo by Supplied / OMA One patient who had been diagnosed with cervical cancer declined conventional treatment because she wanted to pursue other remedies she had learned about through the internet, he said. Two years later, he saw her again and her disease had spread. 'Our ability to control it and give her a good outcome was severely compromised.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Another patient diagnosed with cancer chose treatments, including ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug that became popular as an alternative treatment for COVID-19, for which it was ineffective. Health officials in the U.S. have raised concerns about its alternative use by patients to treat cancer. There is no credible evidence that it works. However, it can cause harm and delay effective treatment, allowing cancer to spread. D'Souza said he understands why people turn to the internet when they get a diagnosis like cancer. 'We know people are going online. Looking isn't necessarily the problem.' He noted that there is a big difference between looking up a YouTube video to learn how to fix a broken appliance and looking up advice about how to DIY your health care after a diagnosis of cancer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'If you go down the wrong path, it can cause harm.' But he said it is important not to judge patients and to engage with them about their concerns, especially at a time when they may feel they have little control over what is happening to them. 'Rather than being judgmental, I embrace the fact that they are communicating.' Dr. Alyse Goldberg, an endocrinologist from Toronto who focuses on fertility and treating hormonal conditions, said there is a 'plethora' of advice on the internet from influencers and others about hormonal and fertility issues, often focused on untested approaches and supplements that promise simple solutions to what are complex issues. Dr. Alyse Goldberg, an endocrinologist from Toronto who focuses on fertility and treating hormonal conditions. Photo by Supplied / OMA She said she focuses on having open conversations with patients and trying to explain what has been shown to work in research studies, 'emphasizing that we are all in this together to try to help our patients feel better and prevent complications.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. OMA president Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman said poor access to primary care plays a role in the growing trend toward DIY medicine. 'Being able to ask these questions (about your health) is about trust. One place you have trust is with your family doctor. When you don't have that, people often go to other sources.' She said that is why the OMA is advocating for every Ontario resident to have access to a primary caregiver, something the Ontario government has committed to doing. The physicians said it is difficult to cut through the growing number of influencers and health advisers online, many of whom are looking to make money from people seeking medical help. But they said there are credible sources, including major research hospitals and organizations, including the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Canadian Cancer Society and, CAMH. They said they are raising their concerns because they believe the situation is getting worse, especially with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. 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Hamilton Spectator
17-06-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Need a family doctor? Six tips from physicians for finding one in Ontario
Ontario is facing a family doctor crisis . An ongoing and worsening shortage of family physicians has contributed to ballooning emergency rooms and poorer health outcomes for millions of Ontarians, experts say. It has even led hundreds of people to queue for hours in the cold just for the chance to secure a doctor. Burnout, disrespect, and even violence made it too hard to continue doing the thing I love. Burnout, disrespect, and even violence made it too hard to continue doing the thing I love. 'By the end of this year, 25 per cent of all Ontarians won't have access to a regular family doctor,' Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman, president of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), told the Star. That's up from the roughly 15 per cent of residents — some 2.5 million people — without a doctor last July . The factors behind the shortage are numerous, from a crushing administrative burden that can see doctors spend 19 hours a week on paperwork alone, to stagnant compensation that has fallen well behind inflation, Abdurrahman said. 'When you look at all these factors, it's really difficult to imagine someone opening up a new practice in comprehensive family medicine. It's just not viable as a plan to move forward right now,' she said. The province has pledged to connect every Ontarian to a primary care provider by 2029 — and is investing $2.1 billion to get it done, said Ema Popovic, press secretary to Sylvia Jones, Ontario's Minister of Health. 'Ontario is proud to lead the country with the highest rate of people with a primary care provider,' she told the Star. The province has added over 15,000 new doctors since 2018, and is currently undertaking the largest medical school expansion in its history. Yet there are still too few physicians to go around. 'The mathematics are certainly against people trying to find a family doctor,' said Dr. Cathy Risdon, a family doctor, professor and chair of McMaster University's Department of Family Medicine. 'There is no one easy answer to this and there's no guarantee that any strategy is going to really be satisfying or successful,' she told the Star. But the following methods will raise your odds of success. With a third of Orillia residents lacking a doctor, the mayor launched a plan to recruit MDs and pay them as employees. 'We can put skin in the game.' With a third of Orillia residents lacking a doctor, the mayor launched a plan to recruit MDs and pay them as employees. 'We can put skin in the game.' Risdon recommends first registering with Health Care Connect . This provincial program matches people in search of a physician with doctors looking for new patients, although it is currently 'under tremendous strain because we don't have enough family doctors,' Risdon said. People can register for the service through its website or by calling 1-800-445-1822 or 8-1-1. The average wait time for the program to connect you with a doctor is 90 days, Popovic said. The program has promised to connect everyone who has been on the wait-list since Jan. 1, 2025 with a family doctor or nurse practitioner by Spring 2026. While you're waiting, scan the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)'s physician register . While this list doesn't denote whether doctors are accepting new patients, its 'advanced search' function can help to find family doctors who speak a certain language or are near a specific location, Risdon said. 'Occasionally, people may have a cultural or linguistic background that requires specialized service,' Risdon said. 'Doctors with that expertise (like speaking a certain language) will often prioritize patients that they know they can uniquely serve.' For those having difficulty navigating CPSO's physician search, provides a more accessible, interactive map of physicians across Ontario, as well as their addresses and contact information. Users can search by medical specialty, language proficiency and gender identity. While the map doesn't show family doctors accepting new patients, physicians often keep wait-lists of people who requested to be patients, said Dr. Lise Bjerre, a family physician and the chair of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, whose team developed the tool. In fear of getting de-rostered, some patients have resorted to visiting ERs for non-emergency care when their family doctors aren't available. In fear of getting de-rostered, some patients have resorted to visiting ERs for non-emergency care when their family doctors aren't available. Ask your hospital whether any of its physicians are accepting new patients. Many walk-in clinics also have physicians looking to build their own practice and are trying to find new patients, Risdon said. 'Keep an eye out for signs saying 'accepting new patients,'' she continued. 'There's a surprising number of them in some communities.' Clinics and hospitals may also refer you to outside physicians they know are looking for new patients, she said. If your community has an affiliation with a medical school, you might be able to attach yourself to a doctor-in-training, Risdon said. 'All of our schools have teaching clinics that train future family doctors,' she said. 'In some of those clinics, patients can attach themselves to a new resident in their first year, who will look after them with supervision while they're training.' When these doctors graduate and establish their own practices, they often take their training patients with them. Finally, check if you're within the area or demographic of your local community health centre (CHC). These not-for-profit organizations provide comprehensive primary health care and other services, largely targeted toward populations who have traditionally faced barriers to health care. There are 75 CHCs scattered across Ontario. A list of where each centre is located is available on the province's website . A map showing family physician-to-patient ratios for Ontario's Census Subdivisions, using data from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and Statistics Canada. also provides an interactive map of each census subdivision in Ontario, as well as the number of physicians present per 1,000 people. It's based on the 2021 Canadian Census — the most recent data we have available, Bjerre said. According to the national 2025 Caring for Canadians report , the demand for family doctors is greatest in remote or rural areas: 'More than half the workforce that would be needed in rural areas is missing,' Bjerre noted. This trend is echoed in Ontario, with large swathes of rural northern Ontario averaging one or fewer physicians per 1,000 people. Urban sectors, including the Greater Toronto Area, tended to average between one to two doctors for every thousand residents. The only area with more than 10 doctors for every 1,000 residents is the rural community of Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario. Ontario has an average 2.8 physicians per 1,000 people, according to 2024 numbers from the OMA — the same as the Canadian average in 2022, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In comparison, OECD member states averaged 3.7 physicians per 1,000 in 2021, with countries such as Norway, Austria and Portugal surpassing five doctors per thousand. If you don't have a family doctor and are experiencing mild, common symptoms, consider stopping by a pharmacist, Bjerre and Risdon recommend. Ontario pharmacists have the power to prescribe medications for certain common ailments, and can also renew medications. The next step is to seek out a walk-in clinic, urgent care (for serious but non-life threatening matters) or the emergency room (for urgent issues like difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness). Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn't mean trips to the office should end. Patients can now see an array of doctors without leaving their recliner thanks to telemedicine. But that doesn't mean trips to the office should end. Unfortunately, all three can be associated with 'very long waits,' Risdon said. 'People are often asked to share only one problem and anything that has a bit more complexity … is really, really hard to achieve in many of those settings.' The last option is to rely on telehealth and virtual care — services that can be expensive and are not always publicly funded, Risdon continued. Bjerre recommended four trusted online resources that provide health information. These include: icanbewell , an app offering preventive health advice that Bjerre said was vetted by the College of Family Physicians of Canada; Unlock Food , a Dietitians of Canada-backed resource for healthy eating; Sex & U , an initiative answering questions about sex and sexuality from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada; and Caring for Kids , a parent-centric health resource from the Canadian Paediatric Society. 'The province is investing significant resources in expanding access to care. There have been new spots opened up in medical schools … and fast tracking for internationally-trained family physicians,' Bjerre said. 'The expectation is that over time, access will improve.' This article was updated from a previous version that misspelled Dr. Cathy Risdon's surname.
CBC
02-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Meet the first Black woman elected to represent Ontario doctors
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) has elected its first Black woman president to advocate for the province's physicians, residents and medical students. Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman, a board certified clinical immunologist and allergist, will serve as the association's 144th president and hopes to inspire others in her new role. "It feels actually, to be honest, amazing. I take on this role knowing there is added responsibility being the first Black woman," said Abdurrahman, whose father is a retired physician. "I think of every time in my office when there's a little Black girl and they get really excited when they see me. They're so excited to know they could be the doctor, so I'm hoping these opens doors and people think of all the leadership roles they can take." Her inauguration took place May 1 at the OMA's annual general meeting in London while celebrating Doctors' Day. As the new president, Abdurrahman will advocate for the more than 43,000 physicians across the province — rural, urban and remote — aiming to bring a unified voice to members with different experiences and ensure they are heard, she said. "I'm really hoping that I'll bring a unified voice to the membership," she said. "I'm also ensuring that during my term I'm going out and seeking them and trying to hear about what's happening in their communities, what's happening in their practice, what are their pain points." One of Abdurrahman's main priorities is to address the crisis in family medicine in Ontario, she said. "Every Ontarian deserves a family doctor, and this is really their gateway to all of the care — we have exceptional doctors in Ontario ... but currently the systems have underfunded them," she said. Family doctors are drowned in paperwork, she said. "We need to address that so that it's more open for everyone to consider doing comprehensive family medicine." Leading more patients to family doctors will help provide preventative care, catch health concerns early, get patients to the specialists they need and keep them out of emergency rooms, she said. "This all trickles down into affecting the entire healthcare system." Abdurrahman also wants to focus on the well-being of physicians, increasing efforts and dedicate support for mental health and well-being for physicians along with address healthcare mistrust among patients in the community at large. She will serve in a one-year term as president, and will have locum support for the year in her practice in the Golden Horseshoe region. "We're hoping that with with this next year, we're going to continue to see infusions into medicine and into family medicine," she said. "We're looking for continued advocacy and support toward that to ensure the patients of Ontario are going to get the best care and opportunities to have a family doctor."
