@Kim-Giroux OMG! I didn't realize you are part of the EPHM! Looking forward to meeting you in person.

@Sandra-Holdsworth You can still register for this Webinar starting at 12:00 pm Eastern Time today.

Thanks Sandra

@Alies-Maybee, thank you for sharing Ailes. I agree with Chris J and I also wanted to add, there is no mention about increase funding for research and clinical trials. No real concrete plans laid. Sounds like the leader down south, they have a plan, just not going to voice it, write etc.. a lot of hot air

@Kim-Locke Fantastic, hope to see you there 🙂

@Robert-Wells
I guess, the way to think about this is - there are 2 types of AI Scribes: one for commercial (consent not needed) and healthcare - where consent IS NECESSARY. The legal ramifications in each context is going to be different.

I read a comment on how someone 'loved' their AI Scribe and how it took over note-taking responsibilities. They were then able to focus on the conversation. Think about it - in a marketing meeting or a technical meeting - this would be advantageous. The parties discuss points - rather than recall & scribbling notes.

In the case of healthcare delivery - privacy legislation, and the clinician/patient information exchange is very precise. When a doctor walks into the room with a patient, there is a mandate on the part of the doctor to obtain key pieces of information (and vice versa). Symptoms, analysis, diagnosis - these are info constructs on which medicine practice is based. BTW - I'm not a doctor... but am fascinated by how these things are represented digitally = i.e. data. Then, there is the legal/ethical aspect of obtaining consent.

In the commercial realm consent is not needed... unless it gets interpreted as spying - honestly, I don't know what the legal consequences are.

In healthcare - consent is a MUST! else, the clinician is in breach of duty to their license, college and oath.

Hi Alies,
Each province and territory governs their disability benefits in their own way. The earnings cut-off is ridiculously low. In Quebec it may be as low as $200/month before clawbacks of disability benefits kick in. Other provinces make this earnings cut-off as an annual income figure, so there is slightly more flexibility.

Another tenacious rumour that I hear from some folks on disability benefits is that they are even discouraged from volunteering their time FOR FREE, at risk of losing their benefits. Haven't yet been able to get to the bottom of that one to see if there is any grain of truth to it, but I do hear it often.

@Chris-Johnston

Some good news - the co-lead for the project Dr. Colette Smart is developing a course based on the resource we created with additional content added. It will be offered by Island Health BC within BC and hopefully beyond. Dr. Smart is just in the process of negotiating that.

I hope as you say that at some point trauma informed care will become a regulatory requirement and part of the reason for the guide is to at least make it known there is a big gap, plant the send if you will. If the guide reaches individual professionals who have some interest/concern for patients who present as survivors of complex trauma and have the guide as a resource we felt they may provide pressure for systems change from the bottom up. It is like pushing a rock uphill but even small acts can result in big changes down the line.

Thanks for your suggestion about EHR developers/vendors, as you suggest it may be a way to reach users so I will certainly look into this.

Lori

I have heard about this course and know that folks have found it really interesting.

@Chris-Johnston me too!

@Alies-Maybee Looks great. Looking forward to the sesions.

Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) is offering a 4 part eLearning series that is very good. To enroll for free, click on this: HEC website

Once registered, you will receive an email with links to all 4 modules. Proceed at your own pace; start with the Introduction module. After completing all modules, you will receive a request for feedback from HEC.

@Alies-Maybee Alies, how would you like PAN to receive feedback?

@Chris-Johnston I actually don't know but I hope so.

@Chris-Johnston my pleasure, i'm looking to register but I was also looking to have someone join me are you interested?

@Alies-Maybee Thank you. I have added more comments for approval on the cafe message board and have registered.

For anyone interested in where AI-related biomedical research has currently reached - a recent article in Nature (see link below) highlights the use of AI to create multiple versions of entire virus genome - 3 of which were capable of infecting and destroying E. Coli bacteria.

With the declining efficacy of antibiotics, the capability to create tailored viruses is a huge step forward. However, it also opens the door to both the accidental and deliberate creation of potentially lethal viruses against which we gave no defences - which is terrifying.

It’s also, as the article points out, the first step towards AI-generated life - which has a vast range of mind-boggling implications.

Article in Nature in September: AI-Designed viruses are a step towards AI-generated life

Based on the pre-print research paper: Generative design of novel bacteriophages with genome language models

And an equally chilling piece of AI-powered biotech research appeared in MIT Technology Review in October:
Microsoft says AI can create “zero day” threats in biology by designing toxins that evade security controls.

@Chris-Johnston

Me too! 😀 See you there.

@Chris-Johnston

Hi Chris,

This is good (!)... it gives you a perspective into the American mind. Outdated websites are very common. What business has time to remember to update their public-facing webpage content. The answer is none.

A few things to note:

HIPPA has no jurisdiction in Canada, and

they are focusing on PIPEDA - the national privacy law (that applies to business; with exceptions to healthcare). (Light reading for insomniacs...)

It is important to note that - as a result of healthcare being in the jurisdiction of the PROVINCES - the feds must accept what 14 jurisdictions decide regarding healthcare. Personal Health Information (PHI) is a provincial matter governed by provincial privacy law. Transferring PHI between provinces is a nightmare. This, in turn, results in the national interoperability horror story that we currently find ourselves in.

Bottom line: it is up to each province to do its due diligence when it comes to PHI protection... and to which - the Americans are oblivious. Also, each healthcare service provider (hospitals, community care, clinics) must show conformance to privacy; in conformance to multiple professional standards. Heck, the provinces can't get their acts together - imagine the Americans trying to sell software in such an environment.

Just because things are being marketed for the American environment, does not mean Canadian entities need to agree. Take a look at your healthcare delivery organizations; look up their privacy statements. There is a catch phrase out there: "Patient PHI is stored on servers that reside in Canada." My local hospital went so far as to state that the PHI resides in Ontario (I'm based here in Ottawa.) I would love to do a deep dive into all the provinces and their privacy standards... but honestly - who has the time.

I'm going to stop here, 'cause I could prattle on forever. However, feel free to ask questions here and I'll do my best to answer.

@Lori-Herod This is an excellent resource, many thanks for sharing Lori.

@Alies-Maybee Excellent - thanks for sharing Alies!

@Virginia-McIntyre No worries! I am curious though how it went?

I see they've taken down the conference website pretty promptly.

When I queried (repeatedly) about virtual options, I was told on several occasions that they intended to stream the key notes, but the option wouldn't be added to the site until closer to the date - I suppose that was to ensure they didn't lose any potential sales. I checked back regularly and never found any evidence of it. Did anyone get to stream the key notes?

If anyone from PAN attended, would be very interested to hear:

How it went overall? What you learned? What impressed or disappointed?

And also:

Were there many patient/family/caregiver partners in attendance? Were there any PFCs presenting? Any specific topics or insights worth sharing? Did they draw any conclusions on the main question of 'Where is the Patients Voice?'

Inquiring minds would love to know 🙂

@Alies-Maybee @Debra-Turnbull @Kim-Giroux @Kim-Giroux If it's of interest, have just received notice of the next Obliquity workshop:

Join us on December 1, 2025 (5:30 PM MST) for the HYBRID workshop An Artistic Exploration of Ancient Healing Fountains and Contemporary Health Apps with Mariléne Oliver. You may attend virtually OR attend in person (Katz Group Centre For Pharmacy And Health Research Building; Room 1080)

Marilène Oliver is an Associate Professor in Art & Design whose artistic research is at a crossroads between new digital technologies, traditional print and sculpture, her finished objects bridging the virtual and the real worlds. She works with the body translated into data form in order to understand how it has become 'unfleshed', in the hope of understanding who or what it has become. Oliver uses various scanning technologies such as MRI, CT, and PET to reclaim the interior of the body and create works that allow us to materially contemplate our increasingly digitized selves. In 2018 Oliver was selected to present her research at TEDMED. Oliver leads LASERAlberta, a series of arts and science public talks affiliated with Leonardo/ ISAST. Oliver currently leads the research projects Dyscorpia: Future Intersections of the Body and Technology, Know Thyself as a Virtual Reality and is the lead of the Art & Working group for the Smartwear Revolution project.

Please click HERE to register to attend.

Note: Previous Obliquity workshop recordings are available to watch on the Obliquity website, and older sessions from their Youtube account.

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@Nadine-Frisk Many thanks for sharing Nadine!

I also noted with interest the recordings of past talks and will definitely be dipping in to catch up 🙂

@Chris-Johnston Adding another event on the topic of de-identification - this time for medical imaging so it's a little more technical 🙂

25 Nov at 9 am PT, Microsoft is hosting a webinar on Practical Approaches to De-Identification of Medical Imaging Data: From Metadata to Pixel-Level Protection

From the website:
This session provides a practical overview of how identifiable information can appear in medical imaging data and how it can be effectively removed to protect patient privacy. Participants will learn the core concepts of metadata and pixel-level de-identification, including common sources of protected health information (PHI) within DICOM files and image content.

The workshop will highlight real-world examples and introduce tools and workflows used to ensure compliance with privacy regulations. Topics will include metadata anonymization, handling of burned-in text in ultrasound and other modalities, and defacing techniques for 3D imaging data. The session is designed to be accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Click to register