TOOLS AND LINKS YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL
HOME BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING
This is a link to a printable form that will allow you to record your blood pressure outside the office. Please bring this completed form to your next appointment.
MAYO CLINIC PATIENT INFORMATION WEBSITE
The Mayo Clinic maintains a superb patient information website. This is a great place to start when you are researching a health condition, medications, diets, etc.
PAIN BC
Pain BC offers tools, coaching and resources for people and their families who are living with pain in British Columbia. This organization offers support, education and training for patients and providers and seeks to improve well being. By using this approach, we may be able to reduce the amount of medication that is needed in the treatment of your pain.
TRAVELER'S HEALTH
This website, operated by the American Center for Disease Control is a great place to start when you are preparing to travel. It allows you to see what medications, immunizations and equipment you might need when traveling. Travel alerts and safety information can be found here as well.
IMMUNIZE BC
This is a great website that describes all of the vaccines that are recommended for children and adults. You can check to see if you and your family members have your vaccines up to date and you can find out where to go to get vaccinated if you need to. The site also has information about the science and safety of vaccines and information about vaccines for travelers.
DEMENTIA ROAD MAP FOR FAMILIES
This is a resource for families who have a relative suffering from dementia. This road map was written by Dr. Trevor Janz, who is an expert in the care of the elderly. He lives and works in Nelson, BC.
FALLS
Anyone can fall. But as we age, our risk of falling becomes greater. That’s the bad news. The good news is that falls can be prevented. The first step to avoiding falls is to understand what causes them. This site has some nice simple tips to help prevent injuries from falls.
MEDITERRANEAN DIET
We may have recommended the Mediterranean diet for you or your family members. This diet is heart healthy and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The Mayo clinic has a helpful website that outlines the diet and offers other links about healthy eating
COMMUNITY HEALTH PROGRAMS
Pathways Community Service Directory is a website for all ages that gathers together all of the programs in our region that work to keep patients healthy and in their own homes.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
While cost is not always the most important factor in choosing where to fill your prescriptions, you might find this website helpful in comparing prices. It is important to make sure that you choose a pharmacist that you trust and who helps you to understand your medications and how to take them most effectively.
PEDIATRIC RESOURCES: DR. NUTTER
Our pediatrics colleague, Dr. Alison Nutter has collected great online resources for the care of children that you can access on this page.
FEEDING YOUR INFANT
There is a lot of information out there about when and how to introduce solid food for your infant and a lot has changed over the past few years about how to reduce the risk of food allergies for your child. This Healthlink BC article has a great summary of the topic and it includes links to information about and recipes for the introduction of allergenic foods.
WALK IN COUNSELING PROGRAM
Interior Health offers same day, no appointment necessary, counseling services for patients who are struggling with depression, anxiety, relationship issues or stress
ANXIETY BC
This site has some great tools for helping with anxiety. You might want to check out the apps under the Mindshift CBT tab that could help with controlling symptoms of anxiety.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness helps you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress. Try out this exercise in breath focused mindfulness led by one of our local therapists, Brian Howard. BA, MAC, RCC
SMILING MINDS
This is a great website for our younger patients who are struggling with anxiety. There is information about mindfulness and links to an app with excercises to promote mindfulness and reduce anxiety.
HELP FOR SMOKERS
You need to quit smoking. We understand how hard it is to break free from this harmful habit. We also know that it can be done and that our patients who quit are healthier and happier. Please talk to us about how we can support you in quitting. Please also check out this great support service for people trying to leave tobacco behind.
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada provides this excellent resource for understanding heart failure. Check our their guide to living with heart failure as well which has practical tips and forms for monitoring and managing the disease.
FOOT AND ANKLE DISORDERS
This website offers help for patients and providers in diagnosing and treating disorders of the foot and ankle. You can find information about sprains, Bunions, Achilles tendon problems, plantar fasciitis and many other disorders here.
KNEE EXERCISES
Here is a list of exercises to help with knee pain, as recommended by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Please check with your family doctor to make sure that these exercises are safe for you before starting this program.
HIP DISORDERS
This website offers help for patients and providers in diagnosing and treating disorders of the hip. You can find information about hip arthritis, bursitis and other hip disorders here.
HIP EXERCISES
This is a link to exercises from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons that may be helpful with hip pain. Please check with your family doctor to make sure that these exercises are safe for you before starting this program.
LUMBAR (LOW BACK) AND CORE EXERCISES
For patients looking for a more advanced low back and core exercise program, this is a great resource from the Athletic Medicine Program at Princeton University. Please check with your family doctor before starting this program.
SHOULDER EXERCISES
Here is a link to shoulder exercises recommended by our orthopedic colleagues. These exercises can be very helpful in the treatment of certain shoulder conditions. Please check with your family doctor to make sure that these exercises are safe for you.
NECK AND BACK EXERCISES
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons offers this list of exercises designed to promote spinal health and reduce pain. Before starting any of these exercises please discuss whether they are safe for you with your family doctor.
CONTRACEPTION FOR WOMEN
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecololgists of Canada provides this website with comprehensive information about hormonal and non hormonal contraception options for women. There is a great, interactive tool to help you choose a safe and effective form of birth control.
IUD INFORMATION
Some of our physicians at Guisachan Family Medicine are trained to insert intrauterine contraceptive devices for our patients who choose this form of birth control. Information about this type of contraception and the procedure can be found here.
DEPRESSION CALCULATOR
This interactive calculator, called the PHQ 9, can be used as a screening tool to assist your family doctor in making the diagnosis of depression. It can also be used to quantify depression symptoms and monitor severity.
ANXIETY CALCULATOR
This interactive calculator, called the GAD 7 can be used as a screening tool to assist your family doctor in making the diagnosis of anxiety. It can also be used to quantify anxiety symptoms and monitor severity.
ADHD CALCULATOR FOR ADULTS
This calculator can be used to screen for adult patients (over 18) who warrant further evaluation for adult ADHD. Your family doctor can also determine symptom severity and monitor changes and response to treatment over time, using this calculator.