Supporting migrants and refugees with compassionate care: A study to develop and test digitally enabled care by community organizations (e-COMPASS)
Ibukun’s previous study found that virtual care can allow migrants and asylum seekers access to healthcare conveniently. Many providers that serve this population have similar migration and cultural experiences as their patients. This increases their ability to deliver compassionate care but is emotionally challenging and can worsen burnout. Her study will co-design and test an…
Read MoreImproving healthcare professional competencies through critical conversations about inclusion, diversity, fairness, and accessibility
David’s project aims to explore how digital technologies impact compassionate healthcare by advancing the Digital Compassion Professional Competencies Framework and developing a companion guide for healthcare professionals. Drawing on expertise and collaborations, centering people with lived experience, we investigate how to amplify an equity lens into Digital Compassion Professional Competencies Framework through critical dialogues. With…
Read MoreOptimizing the impact of a monitor configuration on alarm fire rate, alarm fatigue, and nurse well-being
Bren’s study seeks to evaluate the impacts of a physiological monitor configuration optimization on a general pediatric and paediatric cardiology inpatient unit in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. First, an evaluation of the alarm fire rate will be performed using the monitor system’s alarm audit data to quantitatively assess if fewer alarms fired. Staff interviews will then…
Read MoreDesigning self-compassion treatment for people with multiple sclerosis
Self-compassion refers to an attitude of kindness and caring directed towards one’s self, especially so at times of difficulty and distress. In this project Robert and colleagues at Unity Health will assess how people with multiple sclerosis experience training in online mindful-self compassion, a treatment designed to help manage stress. It is important to not…
Read MoreExploring technology, compassion, and equity in traumatic brain injury care for underserved populations
The lack of education on traumatic brain injury (TBI) negatively impacts attitudes regarding TBI, resulting in stereotypes and stigmatizing views that compromise compassionate care. To date, much of the digital technology for education on TBI focus on concussion/TBI in the sports settings, which may not be sensitive to the needs of underserved populations who often…
Read MoreExploring the role of technology-enabled connection in the care of young adults living with type 1 diabetes and mental health challenges
Young adults living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) make over 300 decisions each day related to food, activity, and insulin – equal to about one decision every five minutes of the day. As a result of these daily care needs, many young adults living with T1D also live with mental health challenges, including diabetes distress.…
Read MoreDeveloping a framework for equitable ML development and deployment in oncology
The next healthcare era hinges on artificial intelligence (AI) advancements, leveraging vast clinical, imaging and operational data to streamline and augment processes. However, the data that is used to train AI solutions is biased due to the inequities that characterize our society (e.g. the social determinants of health), and health and healthcare in particular. Therefore,…
Read MoreAdvancing compassionate practices in virtual long COVID care
‘Long COVID’ (LC) is an episodic condition that impacts up to 35% of COVID patients. Many people with LC (PWLC) have failed to receive compassionate care from healthcare professionals (HCPs) who did not acknowledge their condition and/or respond to their suffering. A recent systematic review demonstrates that virtual care is the second most common LC…
Read MoreExploring patient-generated narratives in the electronic health record to support whole-person care
To date, patient-generated health data (PGHD) has largely focused on the role of clinical measures in health care provision. The role of patient stories and values as a key source of PGHD is largely an untapped opportunity in the digital technology sphere. This work explores the feasibility and acceptability of including patient narratives in the…
Read MoreUnderstanding the ethical and other implications of leveraging digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to enable compassionate care in support of healthy ageing
Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence (DT/AI) have considerable potential to revolutionize healthcare, but also have the potential to cause harm. Numerous organizations worldwide are developing best practices and guidelines/policies for the safe adoption and deployment of these powerful technologies; yet older adults are often not considered. Samir’s study endeavors to enhance the delivery of compassionate…
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