following: taking notes, eating, only reading). Both groups showed significant improvements in their test scores (Asthma: 22% improvement, Toxicology: 29%; p < 0.01 for both), with blog posts demonstrating a larger but non-significant difference (RM-ANOVA, Topic*Modality F(1,59) = 0.001, p = 0.973). Conclusion: This study suggests that podcasts and blog posts significantly improve medical student knowledge retention to a similar degree, but differ in usage conditions.

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Introduction: We aimed to quantify the baseline familiarity of emergency medicine (EM) physicians with the Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC)-EM recommendations. We then assessed whether a structured knowledge translation (KT) initiative affected awareness, knowledge, and practice patterns for imaging in low back pain. Methods: We completed a two-center, before and after practice evaluation study. Physicians working in two Canadian emergency departments (EDs) were asked to participate in a survey before a KT initiative, and were surveyed again at a six-month follow up period post-intervention. The primary outcome of physician practice was determined by analyzing the frequency of lumbar X-ray imaging for back pain. Results: A total of 37 physicians were asked to complete the pre- and post-intervention survey. Awareness of the CWC-EM recommendations increased following the intervention (63%; 95%CI: 43-79 at baseline vs. 86%; 66-96 post-intervention). Knowledge increased with 58% (39-76) of physicians responding correctly initially, and 86% (66-96) after the intervention. Despite increases in awareness and knowledge of the guidelines, the lumbar X-ray imaging rate increased from a baseline of 12% (9.9-14.5) to 16.2% (13.6-19.2; p = 0.023) following the intervention. Conclusion: We demonstrated some improvements in physician awareness and knowledge of the CWC-EM recommendations following our intervention. Despite these improvements, our KT intervention was associated with an increased frequency of imaging for low back pain, contrary to our expectations.

Canada is a wealthy nation with a geographically diverse population, seeking health innovations to better serve patients in accordance with the Canada Health Act. In this country, population and geography converge with social determinants, policy, procurement regulations, and technological advances, in order to achieve equity in the management and distribution of healthcare. Rural and remote patients are a vulnerable population; when managing chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, there is inequity when it comes to accessing specialist physicians at the recommended frequency—increasing the likelihood of poor health outcomes. Ensuring equitable care for this population is an unrealized priority of several provincial and federal government mandates. Virtual care technology may provide practical, economical, and innovative solutions to remedy this discrepancy. Here we review the literature pertaining to the use of virtual care technologies to monitor patients with cardiovascular disease living in rural areas of Canada. A search strategy was developed to identify the literature specific to this context across three bibliographic databases. 166 unique citations were ultimately assessed for eligibility, of which 36 met the inclusion criteria. In our assessment of these articles, we provide a summary of the interventions studied, their reported effectiveness in reducing adverse events and mortality, the challenges to implementation, and the receptivity of these technologies amongst patients, providers and policy makers. Further, we glean insight into the barriers and opportunities to ensure equitable care for rural patients and conclude that there is an ongoing need for clinical trials assessing virtual care technologies in this context.SummaryPatients living in rural and remote communities’ experience diverse challenges to receiving equitable healthcare as is mandated by the Canada Health Act. Advances in virtual care technology may provide practical, economical, and innovative solutions to ensure this for patients in remote and rural living situations. Here we provide a state-of-the-art review of virtual care technologies available to patients with cardiovascular disease living in rural areas of Canada.