Hashtag Health

Stethoscopes, prosthetics, and… clones?? In this 3D printing series finale, we discuss the shifting culture in the medical device market, and other current and future applications of 3D printing, where reality meets science fiction.

Lub-dub, lub-dub… ahh the beautiful sound of a beating heart. The stethoscope is a quintessential archetype of a physician, and is used by many other professions. However, a three-digit price tag makes them a luxury good for many around the world. Can we create high-quality alternatives for medical equipment for the price of a cup of coffee?

Risk is a common word in the medical toolkit, but what does it actually mean? Well, fear not. Risk reporting is actually much more complex than you think. On this episode of Hashtag Health, we dig into risk and how it is commonly reported. You may be shocked to see how differently the same data can be presented.

Introducing our new mini-series, Hashtag Health Lite! On a quick coffee break? Sit back and listen to our bite-sized critical review of scientific literature on popular health topics. Science shows that a compound in red wine is great for your health. That means we should start drinking red wine right? Not so fast. On this episode of Hashtag Health, we explore the basics of Resveratrol, a small molecule that has been called the “silver bullet” that will explain the French Paradox. We also shed light on the importance of context when interpreting scientific literature.

With much of the Covid-19 discussion being that of the biomedical approach implications, have we lost sight of a more holistic view of health? On this episode of Hashtag Health, we dive into the biopsychosocial model of health with Dr. Farah Abdulsatar to help better understand how that little self-care routine of yours may actually be more important than you think!

With increasing access to vaccinations, the COVID-19 pandemic looks to be drawing to a close in some countries. Other countries haven't been as fortunate. How do we really put an end to this pandemic on a global scale? And what comes after that? On this episode of # COVID VACCINES, we spoke with Dr. Noni Macdonald about barriers for global COVID-19 vaccination and a post-pandemic future.

Is the COVID vaccine a 4G microchip?? Last time, we spoke with Mallory Ellingson about how to combat vaccine hesitancy. But to be effective, she mentioned it is important to be well-educated. Learn about how it makes sense that the COVID vaccines were developed so quickly, comparison of the different COVID vaccines, the strategies for vaccine rollout in Canada and abroad, and more in this episode!

We finally have working vaccines for COVID-19, but not everybody is planning to get their shot. Why are people feeling hesitant about vaccination? And how do we talk to them about it? On this episode of #VACCINEHESITANCY, we spoke with infectious disease researcher Mallory Ellingson from Yale University about where vaccine hesitancy comes from and how we can have conversations about it.

Anxiety, inflammation, insomnia, OH MY! It seems like every day there's a new use for CBD oil, even for your furry pets! This is part 2 of our series on CBD. In this episode we look at all the popular uses for CBD with Dr. Ross and what has the best research behind it. Also, if anyone listens to Sawbones I hope you appreciate that reference.

*SPOILER ALERT for those who haven't seen film content about Gypsy Rose/DeeDee Blanchard* Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy are somewhat having a moment in film these past few years -- with more and more movies coming out featuring people seemingly afflicted with the conditions. If you've seen The Act or HBO documentary "Mommy Dead and Dearest" you'll know just how strange and uncomfortable life with Muchausens can get. With all these stories flooding your screens, you may be wondering what real life Munchausen patients are like. Here to give us the scoop is psychiatrist and international expert on factitious disorders, Dr. Marc Feldman.

How did cannabis go from taboo street drug (aka Wacky Tobacky), to being touted as treatment for everything from seizures to cancer pain? In this episode of Hashtag Health we discuss with Dr. Ross from the University of Toronto about what THC and CBD are, how they act in the body, and common misconceptions about these compounds.

Social media has undoubtedly played a role in how science misinformation spreads. From vampire facials to vaccine hesitancy, Tim Caulfield has really seen it all. Tim Caulfield is a professor of health law and science policy at the university of Alberta and an expert in science misinformation. In this episode, we talk to him about the trends of how science and health misinformation spreads and who might be to blame.

While you're stuck at home for extended periods of time, why not try that 1950s celebrity hairdo you've always wanted to rock?

The Japanese art of Kintsugi embraces the fragmented nature of an object. How can we apply Kintsugi to a new scar, or to life after the COVID-19 pandemic?

In what ways is our approach to finding solutions for COVID-19 similar to flipping a coin?

#StayHome to #FlattenTheCurve. These hashtags are all over social media platforms now. But most people have never heard the phrase "flatten the curve" before COVID-19. The whole world is doing it, but what does flattening the curve even mean?

Masks, masks everywhere. In the grocery store, on the subway, in the hallways of your apartment. But are they effective and what for?

Can viruses like COVID-19 be cured with antibiotics? Should you be taking antibiotics anytime you have a sore throat in case it's strep? Sadly, we haven't come that far – antibiotics do literally nothing against viruses. However, 50% of people in the United States believes that antibiotics kill viruses. In part two of #AntimicrobialResistance - we dive deeper into this topic with Dr. Podolsky. However, the answer to this issue is not as simple as you might think.

Dr. Luckett-Gatopoulos talks about infection dynamics of the novel coronavirus, and how it got its foothold in the human population.

Dr. Luckett-Gatopoulos works on the front lines of the current COVID-19 pandemic. In this podcast series, she shares her day-to-day perspective as a newly graduated emergency physician working in the world of medicine during COVID-19.