e-Health -- you make the call

There I was, working away trying to reduce the size of my burgeoning inbox, when something from my LHIN caught my eye; it was a link to a document from the MoH entitled "Top 10 Tips To Avoid Catching The Flu".
With a view towards staying healthy, especially throughout the winter season, I enthusiastically clicked on the link, only to recoil at what I was reading.

Now, to avoid any misunderstanding, I am in no way averse to the MoH trumpeting the efficacy of the flu shot -- as a frequent reader of the well-respected Jon Barron newsletter, I've learnt to temper my feelings towards it, if only somewhat.
For example, in the above publication and under the heading "3. They are totally ineffective -- again, not necessarily", Mr. Barron notes:

"Even the flu vaccine, which may have only a marginal ability to prevent the flu, probably plays a significant role in lessening the intensity of the flu if you do get it. If you are very old or have a compromised immune system, this may be enough of a difference to save your life."

So, no -- my concern is only with the shameless promotion that's apparently being done here.

Let's take a look at this list -- as you can see, the first tip definitively states that the flu shot is "the best way to avoid the flu" -- this implies that the list is in decreasing order of importance/effectiveness -- no problem so far.
It then goes on to enumerate a number of other things you should do to minimize your chances of catching the flu.
What really made me reach for my glasses however, was the fact that tip #9 states: "Eat well, exercise and get enough rest."


But it doesn't stop there! Tip #10 serves to convince and impress upon you that none of the previous 8 tips is that important -- and that the flu shot is everything!
Notwithstanding the fact that eating well, exercising and resting has been a proven strategy throughout the annals of human existence and that the flu shot doesn't even register, I find this document to be an insult to the intelligence of its readers.
Personally, the MoH should apologise and re-issue this document with the following changes:

• tip #10 should be removed
• tips #9 and #1 should have their places reversed

However, from a realistic and impartial viewpoint, the document should simply be re-issued with tips 1 through 9 in alphabetic order, leaving the decision with the reader as to how best to proceed.

I'm firmly of the opinion that the embodiment of good health is ably expressed by tip #9, my friends -- managed of course by a decent EMR or PHR system.

To your continued good health!


Ernest A. James

President & CEO
Regal Informatics Inc.