BRIC NS

Recent funding – ACTing Collectively project

BRIC NS members recently received $99,308 in funding through the Nova Scotia Health Research Fund Competition. The ACTing Collectively research team is led by Principal Investigators Grace Warner and Tanya Packer. The ACTing Collectively research project will work collaboratively with health system and community partners to identify and work with two communities in Nova Scotia to identify how to sustainably implement community-level data collection and sharing to improve our understanding of common concerns and frequently used resources of aging adults and associated gaps in resources in community settings.

Using the evidence-based innovation Age Care Technology (ACTTM), the project will collect individual and community-level data about the needs of, and available resources for, aging adults living in community. Individual Action Plans will be provided to members of two participating municipality units to facilitate their ability to stay at home and live in place as long as they wish or are able to. Aggregated data will inform communities and municipalities of the needs and priorities of aging adults in their communities and form recommendations for policy and program initiatives.

BRIC NS is proud to support this work and its team of interdisciplinary researchers, knowledge users, community and patient partners.

Details:

Title: ACTing collectively to map and address the needs of community-living older adults in Nova Scotia
Principal Investigators: Grace Warner and Tanya Packer
Amount: $99,308
Funding Source: Nova Scotia Health Research Fund Competition

BRIC NS

Primary Health Care Learning Series

Join us to learn about research and quality assurance projects being conducted by the primary and integrated health care community

Date: April 21, 2021 from 12:30 – 1:45 pm ADT

This event is free and open to everyone. You must register in advance: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qXdaTM-eTxqg-xh4JjlW7Q  
Information about joining the Zoom webinar will be sent after registration.

This webinar will consist of two presentations:

  • Maureen Coady will present: Informal professional learning in a community-based health education program: The transformative learning of one interprofessional team
  • Nicole MacKenzie: Shared Decision Making: A Missing Link in Pediatric Pain Management?

About the presenters:

Dr. Maureen Coady is an Associate Professor in the Department of Adult Education at StFX. Her research focuses on the links between health and learning, and the role adult education can play in enabling learning, agency and improved health outcomes in the population. She co-ordinates an M. Ed. in Adult Education & Health at StFX and is particularly interested in empowering ways of working with people, which is the focus of this presentation: Informal Professional Learning in a Community-Based Health Education Program: The transformative Experience of One Interprofessional Team* Her most recent work focuses on continuing professional education (CPE), particularly as it relates to health contexts, but more broadly for all those engaged in professional occupations.

*Coady, M. (2019). Informal professional learning in a community-based health education program: The transformative learning of one interprofessional team. In T. Carter, C. Boden-McGill & K. Pino (Eds.), Transformative learning, resilience, and professional identity formation, (pp.321-342). Information Age Publishing (IAP).

Nicole MacKenzie is a third year PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University, where she is supervised by Dr. Christine Chambers. She completed her BA in Early Childhood Studies at Ryerson University and an MEd in Developmental Psychology at the University of Toronto. Stemming from her research and volunteer experiences in pediatric health settings, her research interests within pediatric pain include interventions for procedure pain management and how shared decision making and knowledge mobilization can improve families’ and healthcare providers use of evidence-based practices. Her current research is focused on understanding how diverse stakeholders engage with knowledge mobilization to promote uptake of evidence-based strategies to better manage children’s pain. Nicole is supported by awards from the Maritime SPOR Support Unit, Research Nova Scotia, Killam Trusts, and is a past recipient of a BRIC NS Student Award.

BRIC NS

PIHCI Network Learning Series – End-of-Life in Primary Care

BRIC NS is pleased to co-host the next presentation of the PIHCI Network Learning Series.  This series is organized by the Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations Network Coordinating Office.

This seminar on the topic of end-of-life care in primary care features the work of three BRIC NS members:

  • Dr. Grace Warner discussing “Barriers and Facilitators to Initiating End-of-Life Conversations, Assessing Patients and Caregiver Needs, and Patient/Family Centered Planning in Primary Care Practices”
  • Dr. Alexandra Carter discussing “Paramedics as Part of an Integrated, Patient and Family Centered Approach to End-of-Life Care”
  • Dr. Robin Urquhart discussing “Innovative Programs to Help Individuals and Families Affected by Life-Limiting Chronic Illnesses Navigate End-of-Life”

Register here

Details:
March 23, 2021
12:00 – 1:30 pm EST/1:00 -2:30 pm AST

BRIC NS

BRIC NS Student Seminar Series

The BRIC NS Student Seminar Series is an opportunity for students across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress research. Presentations cover a wide variety of disciplines, but all address the common thread of primary and integrated healthcare. Everyone is welcome!

Details:
Date: March 17, 2021
Time: 12:30 – 1:45 pm ADT
To Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1ha_v8CdToKr17ris0iLJQ
After registering you will receive an email with details about joining the Zoom session.

This seminar will cover two topics:

  • Shauna Hachey will present: Integrating Oral Health and Primary Healthcare: Exploring Knowledge and Practice
  • Emma Cameron will present: Access to postnatal health services and supports: The experiences of resettled Syrian refugee women in Nova Scotia

About the Speakers:

Shauna Hachey, Assistant Professor, School of Dental Hygiene, is a co-lead of the Dalhousie Healthy Populations Institute’s Putting “Oral Health is Health” into action Flagship Project, which is committed to improving the oral and overall health status of Nova Scotians by enhancing oral health care strategies and accessibility through interdisciplinary research. She is also currently a trainee in the TUTOR-PHC (Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research in Primary Health Care) program at Western University. With the aim of improving the oral health of priority populations, her research interests surround interdisciplinary approaches to oral health, and oral health policy and programming. Her current work focuses on 1) oral health curriculum in nursing, physician and SLP educational programs across Canada and 2) oral health care within Nova Scotia’s primary healthcare system.  

Emma Cameron is a second-year Master of Arts student in Health Promotion at Dalhousie University. She completed her BSc (honours) at Dalhousie University in Psychology. Her master’s thesis focuses on access to postnatal care for resettled Syrian refugee women in Nova Scotia. Emma has additional research interests in sexual and reproductive healthcare for refugee, asylum-seeking, and migrant women, and the experiences of discrimination among refugee youth in Canada. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia and is the co-founder of the Women’s Health Interest Group at Dalhousie.

BRIC NS

Primary Health Care Learning Series

Join us to learn about research and quality assurance projects being conducted by the primary and integrated health care community

Date: Feb. 17, 2021 from 12:30 – 1:45 pm AST

This event is free and open to everyone. You must register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BRQKAWxkSw68neRWre4pMw Information about joining the Zoom webinar will be sent after registration.

This webinar will consist of two presentations:

  • Mathew Grandy will present: Utilizing EMR Data for primary care research: Insights and challenges in making data accessible for research and QI at a practice level
  • Virginia McIntyre and Karly Stefko will present: A promising intervention: the successful implementation of a 10-week exercise program for individuals with chronic pain

About the presenters:

Dr. Mathew Grandy’s research interests lie in utilizing EMR data to better understand chronic disease, medication prescribing and complex patients in the primary care setting.  As network director for the Maritime Research Network of Family Practice (MaRNet-FP), he has the opportunity to work with and involve an enthusiastic network of community-based physicians for research projects and quality improvement. MaRNet-FP is the Nova Scotia network involved in a larger cross country research project which utilizes EMR data for chronic disease surveillance. This study, named the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN), has been ongoing in Nova Scotia since 2009.  Currently, Dr. Grandy is involved in a number of projects. He is leading a study on identifying and describing chronic opioid prescribing utilizing EMR data, as well as collaborative projects such as; identifying frailty utilizing machine learning and combining EMR data on polypharmacy in the elderly with training on quality improvement within the practice setting.

Virginia McIntyre is on the board of the People In Pain Network (PIPN) and the Maritimes PIPN Director. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, a Diploma in Radiological as well as in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and has completed professional development courses in Communications and Leadership development. She uses her educational background and lived experience to lead pain related initiatives and participate as a lived experience advisor on, research teams and on conference and the Atlantic Mentorship Network: Pain and Addictions advisory committee. She has extensive experience locally and nationally advocating for those living with pain to have access to the tools they need to live well.

Karly Stefko is a recent graduate of Acadia University with a Bachelor of Kinesiology with Honours and is certified with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CSEP-CEP). She currently works as a Kinesiologist with Acadia University where she is responsible for leading community exercise programs around Kings County. Karly also operates her own business where she provides one-on-one in-home and virtual exercise training to those 50+ and is involved as a CEP with iTreatment, a virtual platform that promotes a holistic approach to addiction recovery. Karly primarily works with older adults, both healthy and those with chronic conditions, such as Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Chronic Pain, and Arthritis.

BRIC NS

BRIC NS Student Seminar Series

The BRIC NS Student Seminar Series is an opportunity for students across Nova Scotia to share their completed or in-progress research. Presentations cover a wide variety of disciplines, but all address the common thread of primary and integrated healthcare. Everyone is welcome!

Details:
Date: February 10, 2021
Time: 12:30 – 1:45 pm AST
To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Iedab7Z3TDqqil0rzWtnFw
After registering, you will receive an email with details about joining the Zoom session.

This seminar will cover two topics:

  • Justine Dol will present Essential Coaching for Every Mother during COVID-19: Findings from a feasibility, pre-post intervention study of a remote, text message based postnatal educational program for first time mothers
  • Melanie Santhikumar will present Pilot Study: Computer Based Auditory Training for Auditory Processing Disorders from mild Traumatic Brain Injury 

About the speakers:

Justine Dol is a fourth year PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie University under the supervision of Dr. Marsha Campbell-Yeo. She is a recipient of the 2017 CIHR Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Award to Honor Nelson Mandela; the 2018 Izaak Walton Killam Predoctoral Scholarship; and one of five 2019 Dalhousie University Board of Governors awardees. Her research focuses on the postpartum transition for mothers and using mHealth technology to improve maternal and newborn outcomes, both in Canada and internationally. She developed a text message program for first time mothers in Nova Scotia called Essential Coaching for Every Mother which has the goal of improving mothers’ confidence and social support and reducing postpartum anxiety and depression. She recently completed a pre-post intervention study to evaluate the program during COVID-19 on the feasibility of remote recruitment and to explore preliminary effectiveness (funded by BRIC NS award). A randomized controlled trial launched January 2021.

Melanie Santhikumar is completing her final year in the Masters of Audiology program at Dalhousie University.Prior to this degree, Melanie completed her Bachelors of Science at the University of Toronto in 2015, double majoring in Human Biology and Psychology with a minor in French.  After living abroad and then returning to work as a play-based therapist, Melanie discovered her passion for the field of audiology and the importance of the auditory system in quality of life. Upon completion of this degree, Melanie hopes to integrate clinical research practices into her role as an audiologist.

BRIC NS

Congratulations to the recipients of the New Health Investigator Grants

BRIC NS would like to extend congratulations to the recipients of the New Health Investigator Grants. The New Health Investigator Grant, funded by Research Nova Scotia, supports early-career health researchers who are engaged in work that aligns with the province’s health research priorities.

In particular, BRIC NS would like to recognize BRIC NS members Drs. Elaine Moody, Parisa Ghanouni, and Britney Benoit who were all successful in the 2020 competition.

Read about all the recipients here: https://researchns.ca/new-health-investigator-grant-recipients/.

BRIC NS

BRIC NS Student Seminar Series – November 2020

The BRIC NS Student Seminar Series is an opportunity for students to present their completed or in-progress research. Presenters cover a wide range of topics and disciplines, with the common thread of primary and integrated health care research running throughout. Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact: bricns@dal.ca

This month’s seminar is Why Family Medicine? , investigating the reasons why medical students pursue a career in Family Medicine. Second-year Dalhousie University medical student Bright Huo will present this research on behalf of the research team.

When: Wednesday, November 18th, 2020 12:30-1:45pm AST
Where: N/A – This session will take place remotely only
Register in advance: https://bit.ly/3eTCtwH

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

About the researchers:

Bright Huo is a second-year medical student at Dalhousie University and acts as the Vice-President of Medical Education for the Dalhousie Medical Student Society. As such, he is involved in various local and national meetings and working groups surrounding medical education. He is also a student representative on the Board of Directors of Doctors Nova Scotia and on Council for the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia. His research interests include the intersection between primary care and surgery as well as medical education.

Wyatt MacNevin is currently a 3rd year medical student at Dalhousie Medical School. Prior to medical school, Wyatt received his BScE in Design Engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island where he had research interests in biomedical engineering and process improvement. His current research interests include medical student career planning and medical education.

BRIC NS

Primary Health Care Learning Series

Join us to learn about research and quality assurance projects being conducted by the primary and integrated health care community

Date: Dec. 10, 2020 from 12:30 – 1:45 pm AST

This event is free and open to everyone. You must register in advance: https://bit.ly/3nbbwYp

Information about joining the Zoom webinar will be sent after registration.

This webinar will consist of two presentations:

Presentation 1 – Invisible Women: Carceral facilities for women and girls across Canada and proximity to maternal health care

Presentation 2 – Reproductive health outcomes among incarcerated women in Canada: A scoping review

About the presenters:

Clare Heggie is a recent graduate of the MA Health Promotion program at Dalhousie University, where her research focused on the experience of survivors of sexualized violence in rural NS. She is currently a school health promoter at the Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education, and continues to engage in health research as a research assistant at the Dalhousie School of Nursing and on the Atlantic COAST Study.

Martha Paynter, RN, is a registered nurse practicing in abortion and postpartum care in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is a PhD Candidate in Nursing at Dalhousie University where her research is situated at the intersection of criminalization and reproductive health. Martha’s doctoral research is supported by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, CIHR Banting-Best Canadian Doctoral Scholarship, the Killam Predoctoral Scholarship, the Canadian Nurses Foundation, Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre.
In 2012, she founded Wellness Within, a non-profit organization for health and justice for people experiencing criminalization. WW provides doula support to people experiencing incarceration and education to health professionals and the public about criminalization as a structural determinant of health. WW is a national leader in advocacy for prison abolition, reproductive justice and health equity.