Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic disorder that can lead to a high disease burden and repeated hospital admissions due to its ability to facilitate a multitude of subsequent morbidities.1 Conventional studies often focus on investigating the risk of time-to-first events in T2D patients, giving limi

This study provided evidence of the possible existence of a dose-response relationship with venlafaxine. Depression is a major contributor to disability, affecting 322 million people or 4.4% of the world’s population.1 Its prevalence has been increasing over the years by an estimated 18% between 2005 and 2015. The management of depression includes non-pharmacological options such as psychotherapy or pharmacological options, mainly the second-generation antidepressants such as first-line serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Despite the increased awareness of schizophrenia in Hong Kong, there remains considerable stigma attached with the illness that prevents patients from receiving the appropriate treatment. A paradigm shift of the healthcare system with telemedicine is the next step to optimizing the management of schizophrenia in the post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era. The United States (US) has taken initiatives to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in terms of telemedicine, treatment delivery, and treatment monitoring. As the technologies become mature, the issues of ethics and privacy must also be addressed. In a recent interview with Omnihealth Practice, Dr. Keith Hariman shared his views on the application of such technologies in the management of schizophrenia in Hong Kong.

In routine clinical practice, a treatment decision can only legally proceed after patients are adequately informed and have voluntarily granted their consent for said decision. However, in patients whose mental capacity are compromised, a decision made on their behalf from an unauthorized third party may have legal, practical, or ethical repercussions especially when rapid treatment decisions are required. In a recent interview with Omnihealth Practice, Dr. Jess Leung brought out the issues encountered by persons without decision-making capacity (i.e., also known as mentally incapacitated persons, MIPs) and their carers. As everyone has a risk of losing their mental capacity, Dr. Leung called for earlier preparation by introducing the enduring power of attorney (EPA), advance directives (AD) and will, collectively known as the ‘3 instruments of peace (平安三寶)', to protect our interests while we are still mentally sound.