Amy Ma

Patient-Public Advisor, Choosing Wisely Canada

Health equity, Cultural safety, Patient engagement, Maternal health, Patient-centred care, Children, Parenting, Diversity and inclusion, Accessibility

Media

Montreal candidates’ debate addresses concerns of city’s Chinese community

Global News, September 9, 2018Television

URL: https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1316316739586/?jwsource=cl

Candidates’ debate addresses concerns of Montreal Chinese community

‘What part of hospital don’t you understand?’: New MUHC CEO grilled about patients’ concerns

Global News, June 15, 2018Television

URL: https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1256928835785/?jwsource=cl

After nearly two years of interim leadership, the McGill University Health Centre has a new full-time CEO. As Global's Billy Shields reports, Pierre Gfeller was at the Montreal General Hospital to field questions about problems plaguing the network.

Waiting Room Revolution , May 24, 2022Radio/Podcast

URL: https://www.waitingroomrevolution.com/podcast/episode/2dc9a07e/s4-episode-42-alies-maybee-and-amy-ma

This episode features our conversation with Amy Ma and Alies Maybee, co-founders of the Patients Advisory Network. Hsien, Sammy and Alies and Amy discuss their healthcare experiences, their reactions to the seven keys and why we need to change medicine to be delivered on the patients terms.

Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, November 10, 2020Radio/Podcast

URL: https://anchor.fm/jmirs/episodes/The-Interpersonal-Edition-Whose-Story-Are-We-Missing-em8gkb

This podcast features the Guest Editor of the upcoming special issue on Interpersonal Skills, Sue Robins, and patient leader Amy Ma in conversation about the term soft skills, their experiences in medical imaging and the power of the patient story.

Journal of Health Design, August 19, 2020Radio/Podcast

URL: https://www.journalofhealthdesign.com/JHD/podcasts/view/304?

This podcast talks about why I became a part of my local children's hospital Family Advisory Forum and some highlights on my journey thus far. The democratization of healthcare through patient and community engagement is important!

Whether for removing barriers such as parking fees or inclusion of disabled people in emergency simulations, the voice of patients and families count!

Lessons on patient and public engagement from the Choosing Wisely campaigns

BMJ Opinion, September 16, 2019Online

URL: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/09/16/lessons-on-patient-and-public-engagement-from-the-choosing-wisely-campaigns/

Choosing Wisely is an international movement, present in more than 20 countries worldwide, to raise awareness about the harms of overuse. The campaign began in 2012 in the United States with a simple formula⁠⁠—engage clinicians through national medical associations and specialty societies to develop lists of recommendations of unnecessary tests, treatments, and procedures. At the core of the campaign’s ethos is the commitment to engage clinicians and patients in conversations about overuse. Yet, the formula to engage patients is more difficult than the physician side of campaigns.

See also Reducing overuse in healthcare: advancing Choosing Wisely (BMJ 2019; 367:6317)
https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6317 - I am in the acknowledgements as a contributor

Opioids after wisdom teeth removal should be a last resort, not a routine prescription

CBC News, January 4, 2019Online

URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/wisdom-teeth-pain-1.4963628

Persistent opioid use after elective surgery poses a dependency risk, especially in young people

Critics denounce process to select new head of MUHC, who should be announced imminently

Montreal Gazette, April 6, 2018Online

URL: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/new-head-of-muhc-to-be-announced-any-day-now

Health Minister Gaétan Barrette is expected to announce any day now the new head of the embattled McGill University Health Centre following a selection process that critics charge has been shrouded in secrecy.

Mental health cuts at MUHC superhospital worry doctors, patients

CBC, February 5, 2015Online

URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mental-health-cuts-at-muhc-superhospital-worry-doctors-patients-1.2947172

There are worries that mental health patients will be left out in the cold as the McGill University Health Centre superhospital begins opening its doors.

Avoid doing chest x rays in infants with typical bronchiolitis

by Jeremy N Friedman, associate paediatrician-in-chief, Tessa Davis, consultant in paediatric emergency medicine, Aarani Somaskanthan, paediatric emergency medicine trainee, Amy Ma, co-chair Family Advisory Forum

Published by BMJ Practice Change

October 22, 2021

What you need to know:
- The diagnosis of bronchiolitis is based on history and physical examination findings and does not require any confirmatory testing
- Performance of a chest x ray in cases of typical bronchiolitis increases the rate of incorrect diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia and unnecessary use of antibiotics
- Abnormal chest x ray findings, such as peribronchial infiltrates and atelectasis, are common on imaging in typical bronchiolitis, but abnormalities leading to a new diagnosis are uncommon and likely seen in <1% of cases

URL: https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj-2021-064132.full?ijkey=VwaADlEy1FqjsEU&keytype=ref

On Leaky Urinals as a Missed Chance at Connection

by Amy Ma

Published by Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences

December 1, 2020

Part of a special issue on Interpersonal skills, featuring a patient leader as a guest editor and several articles highlighting the patient and caregiver perspective.

The importance of the ability to interact with others in an effective and harmonious manner cannot be underestimated. Whether it be for routine follow-up or a life-changing event—good or bad—the patients and family need you to be a part of their space of shared worry.

URL: https://www.jmirs.org/article/S1939-8654(20)30227-7/fulltext

Building a nation of partners for Canada's Health Systems: Emergence of a peer community of practice for patient partners

by Carolyn Canfield, Alies Maybee, Amy Ma

Toolkit on Patient & Public Engagement in Choosing Wisely International Campaigns

by Anna Kurdina, Karen Born, Wendy Levinson, Amy Ma, Todd Sikorski

Biography

Amy Ma is a Patient and Public Advisor with Choosing Wisely Canada. She began her journey in empowering the patient voice in 2013, when she became a member of the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s Family Advisory Forum. She was elected co-chair of McGill University Health Centre’s Central Patients’ Committee in November 2014.

Ma actively collaborates with the hospital ombudsman, administrators and clinicians to bring about improvements to quality and service. Her experience as a parent of a child with a health issue motivates her to harness patient and family voices as a force for positive change in the healthcare system.

Past Talks

Panelist - Patient Advisor Leadership Bootcamp

Health Quality Transformation, hosted by Health Quality Ontario

Toronto, Ontario, October 17, 2018

Panelist - Complaints Management for Marginalized or Specific Patient Groups

Canadian Patient Relations Conference

Toronto, Ontario, March 31, 2016

Panelist - The Power of Relationship-Centred Communication in Healthcare

Inaugural Lecture on Enhancing Patient-Centred Care, St. Mary's Hospital & McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, April 22, 2015

Expertise

  • Accessibility
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Parenting
  • Children
  • Patient-centred care
  • Maternal health
  • Patient engagement
  • Cultural safety
  • Health equity