The Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology (CJO) has released a special supplement, Physician Wellness in Ophthalmology, and it is now available online.

The supplement provides a range of recent editorials, articles, letters, and resources that focus on a wide range of topics. Articles include:

• Wellness during the pandemic
• Beyond burnout: looking deeply into physician distress
• Physicians’ access to primary care: results from the Canadian Medical Association National Physician Health Survey
• Ergonomics in the operating room: it doesn’t hurt to think about it, but it may hurt not to!

You can access the digibook version of the Physician Wellness supplement here.

Follow the CJO on social media:

Twitter: @CanJOphth

Instagram: @cjo_jco

Facebook: CanJOphth

Tips for Including Interactivity in an Accredited Group Learning Activity

This four-page guidance document from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada includes a wide range of tips, tricks, and insights for including or increasing interactivity in group learning activities, as well as some related information for creating digital media. Additionally, the document outlines the minimum interactivity requirements for an MOC Section 1 activity.

Highlights include examples of interactivity in different settings; advice for hosting an online conference; links to video tutorials for turning power point presentations / slide decks into online videos; tips for mailing certificates, and more.

This resource is an excellent go-to reference for any CPD program planner creating accredited learning activities.

You can access this resource here.

Sunday June 14, 2020 – 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Title: Canadian National Neuro-Ophthalmology Rounds

Speaker: Drs. Danah Albreiki and Behzad Mansouri

Objectives:

1.To describe an approach to neuro-ophthalmic presentations
2.To understand use of neuroimaging in neuro-ophthalmology

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86242041201?pwd=aXc1QWZwWGJZaUNGVzR2cWxyVFliUT09

Meeting ID: 862 4204 1201

Password: 7uVVgG

Join by phone:
Meeting ID: 862 4204 1201
Password: 813873
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcrmD6VjG

Friday June 12, 2020 – 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Topic: What I have learnt from ocular genetics rotation at Sickkids Hospital – Discussion of cases

Speakers: Dr. Hugo Lee

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82094466147?pwd=ZmE3N2xmQndNSkhhSU1kZEJ1Zm9NQT09

Password: 1ZhC8t

A PATH TO A NEW VISION: Virtual Care – COVID and Beyond

Are you struggling to provide ophthalmology care to your patients virtually during the pandemic?  We are excited to have Dr. Dawn Sim, Associate Professor at University College London and Director of Telemedine at the Moorfields Digital Laboratory as our guest speaker. 

They will be sharing their experiences with ophthalmology virtual care.  Given the current challenges of seeing patients in person, as well as the challenges of catching up on the backlog of patient visits in future, is virtual care going to be a practical option to assist us?  Join us to find out.

WEBINAR DETAILS

• Date: Thursday, May 7th
• Time: 4:00 pm EDT
• Zoom Link to register for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YIkWMQDJSl-3tBgkX6HK9g    
• Access Password: 125342

FACULTY

Moderator: Dr. Guillermo Rocha

Guest Speaker: Dr. Dawn Sim

Cross-Country Canadian Panel:

• Dr. Kenman Gan (Comprehensive, Glaucoma, British Columbia)
• Dr. Karim Damji (Glaucoma, Alberta)
• Dr. Varun Chaudhary (Retina, Ontario)
• Dr. Ike Ahmed (Glaucoma, Cataract, Ontario)
• Dr. Ahsen Hussain (Oculoplastics, Nova Scotia)

The Planning Committee is made of up members of the COS Council on CPD, Chaired by Dr. Colin Mann, and includes Dr. Mona Harissi-Dagher, Dr. Varun Chaudhary, and Dr. Hady Saheb.

QUESTIONS

Please use the link below to submit questions in advance of the webinar: https://ca.surveygizmo.com/s3/50075021/APathtoaNewVisionQuestions

Your questions will help to guide the presentation by Dr. Sim and the provincial correspondents.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe and apply strategies for practicing ophthalmology during the evolving phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada
• Describe the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmologists practicing in Canada
• Describe practical tips and tricks for providing ophthalmology care virtually, during and after the COVID pandemic

ACCREDITATION

This event is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. You may claim a maximum of 1 hour.

FUTURE WEBINARS

Going forward the COS webinar series A Path to a New Vision will take place on Thursdays at 4:00 pm EDT. Future topics may include Physician Wellness during COVID; Financial Implications of COVID-19; A Return to Elective Cataract Surgery.

This webinar series was delivered with financial support from an educational grant provided to the COS by Bayer.

CONTACT

Colleen Drake, Coordinator, Continuing Professional Development, Canadian Ophthalmological Society at [email protected] with any questions.

The Retina Channel Podcast

Recent editorial in Ophthalmology about ophthalmologists’ preparedness during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

In a panel discussion with Dr. Koushan, Drs. Daniel Ting, Olivia Li and Steven Yeh discuss the preparedness of ophthalmologists in the COVID-19 crisis.

The discussion is based on the most recent Ophthalmology editorial.

Access Details

Listen to the full podcast here.

Wellness during the pandemic

If there was ever a time for physicians to take one’s physical and mental health seriously, it is now.

This situation may last for weeks and quite likely months.  The WHO warns us to prepare for “a marathon, not a sprint”.

 We will be facing difficult decisions that can create distress. How long can our patients safely wait with ‘non emergent’ problems? How will we cope with and manage the backlog of patient visits and surgeries once things are back to “normal”? Do we lay off techs/office staff during the slowdown, and if so- how will they manage financially with the loss of employment?

Trainees are dealing with uncertainty and disruption of their training and future employment- especially those that have been preparing for their Royal College exams. Further Information: https://residentdoctors.ca/

Of course, there is also the constant worry that we or a family member may test positive, or that we could unknowingly be a vector for transmission.

Remember to:

Take appropriate precautions at work

• Use the required personal protective equipment, including sanitizer, masks, sneeze shield for the slit lamp 
  Further Information: https://cosprc.ca/resources/type/for-learners/covid-19/

Take appropriate precautions outside of work to not infect others

• Proper hand and cough hygiene
• Cleaning surfaces often
• Physical distancing

 Support your family’s health and wellness

• Be sure they are aware of the precautions to reduce spread
• Consider hand washing, changing clothing, removing shoes and showering as soon as you arrive home
• Have a plan in place if someone in the household becomes symptomatic or tests positive

 Take care of your own health and wellness

• Use strategies that work for you – and make time for things you enjoy
• Keep a healthy lifestyle (rest, eat well, exercise etc.)
• Take breaks from reading, listening or watching news stories about the pandemic
• Consider downloading one of the subscription apps that are offering free access to healthcare providers to improve access to coping strategies, such as CalmHealth and Ten Percent Happier
• Be alert to signs of fatigue, stress, anxiety, irritability and burnout
• Stay connected to others. Consider reaching out virtually to family, friends and other colleagues

Remember there are provincial physician resource programs to support you if needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Some additional references and resources:

Video Webinar: Coping with Uncertainty about the Coronavirus, ComPsych, March 2020
https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/uw-carelink/webinar-coping-with-uncertainty-coronavirus-covid-19

Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak, WHO, March 12, 2020
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_10

Resilience and stress inoculation during COVID-19, Ontario Medical Association
https://dfcm.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/physician_resilience_and_stress_incoculation.pdf

A clinician’s guide: managing COVID-19 stress and anxiety, Canadian Medical Association
https://boldly.joulecma.ca/home/managing-covid-19-stress-and-anxiety

CDC Resources

1. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html 
2. https://emergency.cdc.gov/coping/responders.asp   

Doctors Manitoba
https://doctorsmanitoba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/COVID-19-PHW-Guide-FINAL.pdf

Headspace
https://www.headspace.com/ 
(Free access for all healthcare professionals right now)

COS Physician Wellness Steering Committee
Dr. Lisa Gould, Chair
Dr. Rishi Gupta
Dr. Lorne Bellan
Dr. Colin Mann

March 27, 2020

This accredited activity has been developed from the recording of a live webinar that was hosted in February 2020. To participate in the webinar please visit this website: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2179418/81C4B40E26A303468E847B8512805FD6

Activity Overview

Stress is inherent in medicine and can lead to burnout. This presentation is designed to assist physicians in learning how to recognize the symptoms of burnout, and prevent burnout in themselves and their colleagues. The main causes of stress and drivers of burnout will be discussed, as well as the impact of burnout to the person and the system. We need to stop blaming doctors and see burnout prevention as a shared responsibility of both the individual physicians and the healthcare system. We will look at enhancing joy in our work, so we can maintain an intellectual, behavioural, and emotional commitment to meaningful and satisfying work. We will review the 5 C’s of Resilience to reinforce concrete and practical strategies that individuals can leverage to enhance resilience and maintain the joy in medicine.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Define and recognize burnout, and appreciate the scope of the issue
• Understand the drivers that lead to stress and burnout in physicians
• Know the consequences of burnout to the person and the system
• Implement personalized strategies to prevent burnout
• Consider the responsibility of the organization or system in preventing burnout
• Know the 5 C’s of Resilience, and identify strategies to enhance resilience and maintain the joy in medicine

This is the second accredited activity that has been produced as part of the COS Physician Wellness Webinar Series. You can review Ergonomics and Mindfulness in the Operating Room… Providing care to your patients while avoiding becoming one another accredited Section 1 activity.

CPD Credits

This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and was approved by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. You may claim a maximum of 1 hour.

Access Details

This accredited activity has been developed from the recording of a live webinar that was hosted in February 2020. To participate in the webinar please visit this website: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2179418/81C4B40E26A303468E847B8512805FD6

This program was delivered with financial support from an educational grant provided to the COS by the Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management and Scotiabank through the Affinity Agreement.

The Canadian Ophthalmological Society is pleased to provide you to a recording of the webinar on practical ergonomic tips in the ophthalmology operating room, that took place on December 9, 2019.

In the session George Matos, Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Specialist and ophthalmologist Dr. Lorne Bellan review how to adapt your posture to protect yourself through a day of surgery. This webinar includes thoughts to have in mind at the start of your surgical day, including how to set up your foot pedals, chair, operating table and surgical microscope, each to optimize your posture and support during your day of surgery and to minimize the risk of repetitive stress injuries.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe optimal posture for a day of cataract surgery
• Position foot pedals optimally from an ergonomics perspective
• Set up your surgical chair for optimal arm, leg and back support
• Set the microscope position and angle optimally for your neck
• Re-introduce equipment/movement patterns to lessen musculoskeletal strain that can be overlooked

CPD Credits

This webinar archive is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and was approved by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. You may claim a maximum of 1 hour.

Access Details

To access the archived (recorded) version of the webinar visit the event website: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/2140596/980B5EE498FA3BA26DF28AC29830E995

This program was delivered with financial support from an educational grant from provided to the COS by the Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management and Scotiabank.