Editor's Note, Volume 16 Issue 4
D’Arcy Little, MD, CCFP, FCFP, FRCPC Medical Director, JCCC and HealthPlexus.NET
In this issue of the Journal of Current Clinical Care, we present articles spanning the frontier where medicine meets history, the ethical complexities of caring for our most vulnerable patients, and the enduring humanity at the heart of the patient–physician relationship.
D’Arcy Little explores an unexpected convergence of disciplines in Imaging the Past: The Application of Medical Imaging Technologies in the Examination of Cultural Artifacts and Art. From Walter Koenig’s 1896 X-ray of an Egyptian mummy to modern dual-source CT and synchrotron-based fluorescence mapping, the article traces how radiological tools developed for patient care now decode hidden Rembrandt compositions, reveal a lost van Gogh portrait, and expose the inner workings of the Antikythera Mechanism—a vivid reminder that the radiologist’s skillset extends far beyond the clinic.
Dr. Michael Gordon turns to the bedside in The Ethics of Dementia Care, examining how truth-telling, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice apply—and often collide—when caring for patients with cognitive impairment. His discussion offers family physicians a practical ethical framework for navigating decisions that patients themselves may no longer be able to fully articulate.
Dr. William Watson offers a moving narrative in Leonard: Lessons from my Inspiring and Resilient Indigenous Patient, recounting years spent earning the trust of a patient whose slurred speech and guarded manner masked a life shaped by residential training schools and systemic racism. It is a candid call for physicians to confront their own unconscious bias and to listen more closely to the stories patients carry.
On the 3P: Pills, Pearls & Patients Podcast, Dr. Marina Malak discusses Choosing Wisely, offering a practical overview of what it means to practise thoughtful, evidence-based, low-waste medicine in primary care.
We hope you find this edition both informative and inspiring, and we look forward to your feedback, as always.