CJEM Articles: Howard Ovens

Displaying 1-10 of 12 results

  • Reaction in Ontario to Bill 110: Canada's first mandatory gunshot wound reporting law
    January 2009 11 1
    Bjug Borgundvaag, Hannah Park, Howard Ovens

    Objective: With the proclamation of Bill 110 in September 2005, Ontario became the first jurisdiction in Canada to mandate that gunshot wounds (GSWs) be reported to authorities. We sought to evaluate the impact of Bill 110, including the awareness of, experience with and opinions about the new law among Ontario emergency physicians (EPs), the public and the police.

    Methods: An online survey was distributed to all members of the Section on Emergency Medicine at the Ontario Medical Association. The public survey consisted of 3 closed questions and was performed by the polling firm Ipsos-Reid by telephone. Police opinion was requested through the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services of the Ontario government.

    Results: The physician response rate was 25%. The great majority of respondents were aware of the law (93%) and willing to comply (88%), but only half were sure of their obligations and the penalties. Since the law had been proclaimed, the majority (51%) had seen at least 1 GSW victim. Seventy-nine percent reported no problems with either the police or the bill, and 86% perceived no change in relations with patients. Six incidents of patients delaying care were reported. Of the public surveyed, two-thirds were aware of the law. After being informed of the law, almost all (95%) expressed support, and the majority (80%) felt it would not change their relationship with their treating physician. All 47 members of the Ontario Provincial Police who were surveyed agreed that Bill 110 is helpful for shooting investigations, 8 reported that they had personally been involved in cases initiated by a report and 6 had been involved in cases where charges were laid or weapons confiscated. Data on actual reports and results of investigations were not available.

    Conclusion: Bill 110 seems to have been broadly accepted by the emergency community and endorsed by the public.

  • CAEP Position Statement on Gun Control
    January 2009 11 1
    Alan Drummond, Atul K. Kapur, Carolyn E. Snider, Howard Ovens
  • Énoncé de position de l'ACMU sur le contrôle des armes à feu
    January 2009 11 1
    Alan Drummond, Atul K. Kapur, Carolyn E. Snider, Howard Ovens
  • EM training in Canada: two is better than one
    July 2008 10 4
    Eric Letovsky, Howard Ovens
  • Cardioversion of uncomplicated paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: a survey of practice by Canadian emergency physicians
    May 2004 6 3
    Bjug Borgundvaag, Howard Ovens

    Objective: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is the rhythm disturbance most commonly encountered by emergency physicians, yet the role played by emergency physicians in the management of this condition has not been well described. The purpose of this study was to describe the management of uncomplicated PAF by Canadian emergency physicians.

    Methods: All members of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians with a Canadian address (n = 1255) were mailed a 15-point questionnaire regarding training/certification, hospital demographics and practice patterns regarding the management of uncomplicated PAF. Chi-squared analysis and Fisher's Exact test were performed to identify significant differences in reported practice patterns in relation to demographic variables. Significant associations were tested for interaction using the Mantel-Haenszel test.

    Results: We received 663 responses, representing a 52.8% response rate. Six hundred and twenty-two (95%), 514 (78%) and 242 (38%) respondents reported routine performance of rate control, chemical cardioversion and electrical cardioversion respectively. Physicians working in high-volume emergency departments (

    >50 000 visits/yr) were significantly more likely to self-manage rate control and chemical/electrical cardioversion than those working in lower volume emergency departments. Residency training was associated with higher performance of electrical (44% v. 31%, p

    < 0.01) but not chemical cardioversion or rate control, although, amongst residency trained physicians, those with FRCP-level training were significantly more likely to perform both chemical (86% v. 76%, p

    < 0.05) and electrical (57% v. 37%, p

    < 0.01) cardioversion.

    Conclusion: Canadian emergency physicians surveyed in this study actively manage uncomplicated PAF. We found significant variations in practice, especially related to the use of electrical cardioversion. This may reflect different practice environments, levels of training, and lack of evidence to guide best practice. Further research is required to determine the optimal care of PAF in the emergency department setting.

  • Accuracy of WHO case definition for SARS screening
    January 2004 6 1
    Howard Ovens, Patricia Daly, Wong Wing Nam
  • Implications of the SARS outbreak for Canadian emergency departments
    September 2003 5 5
    Grant Innes, Howard Ovens, Jim Thompson, Marion Lyver, Michael J. Murray
  • Shiftwork and emergency medical practice
    November 2002 4 6
    Howard Ovens, Jason R. Frank

    Shiftwork has numerous negative effects on workers, but it is an essential component of the demanding 24/7 practice of emergency medicine. We conducted a systematic literature review to characterize the effects of shiftwork on physician health, well-being and practice, and to describe rational strategies to mitigate its impact on Canadian emergency physicians.

  • The future of emergency medicine in Canada: submission from CAEP to the Romanow Commission. Part 1
    September 2002 4 5
    Alan Drummond, Andrew Affleck, Anthony Taylor, Brian H. Rowe, Cheri L. Nijssen-Jordan, Douglas Sinclair, Eric Grafstein, Graham Dodd, Grant D. Innes, Howard Ovens, Marion Lyver, Michael J. Murray, W.B. Palatnick
  • Universality: a call for compassion
    May 2002 4 3
    Howard Ovens