Digital Health Learning Corner
The Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI) is collaborating with the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) on a virtual learning series to support our investigators and trainees working on digital health projects to improve the health of children, women, and other marginalized genders. This learning series is for researchers, care providers, and other stakeholders interested in incorporating digital technologies in a health intervention or health systems process and aims to equip learners to succeed – from project initiation through to implementation.
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Session 21: Embrace Digital Disruption: Change Management in the Age of Digital Health
Date: April 17, 2025
Presenters: Adrienne Cousins, CCMP, ACC, Hanah Van Borek, and Meghan Brenner-Burgoyne, RN, MPH
After the seminar, learners should be able to:
1. Understand the Fundamentals of Change Management in Digital Health: Explore key principles, challenges, and strategies for managing change in healthcare.
2. Analyze Real-World Applications and Frameworks: Learn from case studies showcasing different change management approaches and their impact.
3. Compare Different Change Management Approaches in Healthcare: Understand how various frameworks and methodologies are applied across healthcare organizations, providing insights into their effectiveness in different settings.
4. Encourage Collaboration and Best Practices: Discuss how healthcare organizations, researchers, and innovators can work together to drive effective change.
Session 20: Big Data, Fast Solutions: High-Performance Computing in Digital Health
Date: February 27, 2025
Presenters: Dr. Wyeth W. Wasserman, Ph.D, Karlie Edwards, and Jonath Sujan
After the seminar, learners should be able to:
1. Understand the Role of High-Performance Computing in Digital Health: Explore how high-performance computing (HPC) accelerates the analysis of complex datasets, driving innovation in digital health research and applications
2. Identify Key Challenges and Opportunities in Using Big Data for Healthcare Solutions: Examine the technical, ethical, and operational challenges of processing big data in healthcare, and discuss strategies to overcome them.
3. Explore best practices and encourage further research: Share research studies and projects that have effectively implemented HPC in the current practices. Stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue research opportunities related to HPC in healthcare and to potentially highlight areas where additional research is needed.
Session 19: Industry Partner Panel: Empower Health through Innovation and Partnerships
Date: October 24, 2024
Presenters: Dr. Matthew Chow, Dr. Joby McKenzie, Dr. Sandy Penn Whitehouse, Shaneel Pathak, Adam Hutton, Duncan Weatherston and Faten Alshazly
After the seminar, learners should be able to:
1.Gain insight into how Canadian digital health companies and academic researchers can form effective partnerships to drive innovation in healthcare.
2.Learn how to identify and navigate potential barriers and opportunities when collaborating with industries on research projects.
3.Understand the evolving landscape of digital health innovation in Canada and how researchers can actively contribute to and benefit from this ecosystem.
4. Discover strategies for leveraging industry partnerships to enhance the impact and reach of digital health research.
Session 18: Optimizing Maternal and Newborn Health in the Digital Age
Date: Sept 26, 2024
Presenters: Dr. Elizabeth Keys, Dr. Marianne Vidler, Kristen Korns, and Kyla Pongratz
After the seminar, learners should be able to:
1. Exploring Innovations and Solutions in Digital Health for Optimal Birth Experiences
2. Learn about current digital technologies that support the optimal use of Cesarean sections and how they improve post-surgical follow-up
3. Gain insights into the initiatives and resources offered by organizations such as The Perinatal & Newborn Health Hub at Perinatal BC.
4. Identify best practices and encourage further research; stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue digital health research opportunities.
Session 17: BC Privacy Law Updates: Impacts & Opportunities for Health Research & Tech
Date: July 25, 2024 (Please note: this is the second session of a a two-part series)
Presenters: Dr. Rasika Rajapakshe, Dr. Holly Longstaff, Ms. Sybila Valdivieso, Ms. Heidi Giesbrecht, and Mr. James Bayne
DISCLAIMER: Presenter views are their own and may not be the views of the Provincial Health Services Authority or the Ministry of Health for British Columbia. This presentation does not provide legal advice nor does it create a solicitor-client relationship.
After the seminar, learners should be able to:
1. Stay Informed on BC Privacy Law Updates: Gain a comprehensive understanding of recent changes to BC privacy laws; explore how these updates impact current and future health research projects.
2. Understand the Implications: Assess the effects of updated privacy laws on health research in BC.
3. Discover Opportunities in Privacy and Technology Development: explore innovative approaches to integrating privacy considerations into technology development for health research.
Session 16: AI in Health: Exploring Regulation, Integration, Privacy & Security Impacts
Date: July18, 2024 (Please note: this is the first session of a a two-part series)
Presenters: Dr. Rasika Rajapakshe, Dr. Holly Longstaff, Ms. Sybila Valdivieso, Ms. Heidi Giesbrecht, and Mr. James Bayne
DISCLAIMER: Presenter views are their own and may not be the views of the Provincial Health Services Authority or the Ministry of Health for British Columbia. This presentation does not provide legal advice nor does it create a solicitor-client relationship.
After the seminar, learners should be able to:
1. Explore AI Regulation Issues: Identify and analyze key regulatory frameworks governing AI technologies; discuss the challenges and impacts of these regulations on digital health.
2. Understand AI Integration into Health: Examine the processes and challenges of integrating AI into healthcare systems.
3. Assess Privacy and Security Impacts: Evaluate the implications of AI on privacy and security in digital health
Session 15: In the Heart of Innovation Explore AI, Data Privacy & Policy in Healthcare
Presenters: Michael Coss, Director, Data governance, PHSA, Dr. John-Jose Nunez, MD, MS and Dr. Lovedeep Gondara, MS PhD
Date: May 16, 2024
Learners should be able to:
1. Understanding the role of machine learning in data privacy within healthcare: Help attendees grasp the underlying principles and technologies behind AI applications in health. Examine the challenges and considerations associated with maintaining data privacy in machine learning models.
2. Identify best practices and encourage further research: Showcase successful research studies and PHSA policies that have implemented data security and privacy practices. Stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue research opportunities related to AI in healthcare and to potentially highlight areas where additional research is needed.
3. Inspire innovation: Motivate attendees to think creatively and explore new avenues for data applications in healthcare.
Session 14: Power of AI in Healthcare – Human Factors and Safety
Presenters: Dr. Elizabeth Borycki, RN, PhD FACMI, FCAHS, FIAHSI Dr. Andre Kushniruk, PhD
Date: March 21, 2024
Learners should be able to:
1. Understand the current landscape of AI and its benefits in healthcare: Help attendees grasp the underlying principles and technologies behind AI applications in health. Explore the ongoing challenges and opportunities associated with integrating AI into healthcare systems.
2. Gain insights into human factors in AI Integration: Explore human factors considerations related to the integration of AI into clinical workflows. Understand the importance of supporting human decision-making in conjunction with AI applications.
3. Identify best practices and encourage further research: Share research studies and projects that have effectively implemented AI in the current practices. Stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue research opportunities related to AI in healthcare and to potentially highlight areas where additional research is needed.
Session 13: From digital health research and quality improvement to a learning health system: shifting the dialogue on our use of EHR data to improve health services
Presenters: Dr. Mark A. Clements, MD, PhD; Dr. Angel Arnaout, MD. MBA; Dr. Jonathan Simkin, PhD, MPH; and Dr. Danya Fox, MD, MPH
Date: January 15, 2024
Learners should be able to:
1. Provide
an example of a successful project using data from CERNER electronic health
records and REDCAP to improve pediatric diabetes care.
2. Discuss
how we might enable learning health projects at PHSA through improved data
access/ quality and rethinking the current silos of research and quality
improvement.
3. Identify
opportunities to realize the benefits of our new electronic health records to
better support learning health systems and improvements to care in PHSA.
Session 12: Power of AI in Healthcare – Ethical Dilemmas, Bias & Pioneering Techniques
Presenters: Dr. Leo Anthony Celi, MD, and Dr. Raymond Ng, Ph.D
Date: September 21, 2023
Learners should be able to:
1. Promote understanding of diverse applications of AI and its benefits in healthcare: Help attendees grasp the underlying principles and technologies behind AI applications in health. Discover the role of AI in the healthcare system and how it enhances patient care.
2. Identify best practices and encourage further research: Share research studies and projects that have effectively implemented AI in the current practices. Stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue research opportunities related to AI in healthcare and to potentially highlight areas where additional research is needed.
3. Inspire innovation: Motivate attendees to think creatively and explore new applications of AI in healthcare.
Session 11: How might we create better health with virtual reality?
Presenters: Dr. Alexandra Kitson, Natalie Brown, and Chelsea Stunden
Date: July 20, 2023
Learners should be able to:
1. Promote understanding of diverse applications of VR and its benefits in healthcare: Help attendees grasp the underlying principles and technologies behind VR applications in health. Explain how VR can create immersive experiences and enhance patient care.
2. Identify best practices and encourage further research: Share research studies and projects at BCCHR & WHRI that have effectively implemented VR in practice. Stimulate interest among seminar attendees to pursue research opportunities related to VR in healthcare and to potentially highlight areas where additional research is needed.
3. Inspire innovation: Motivate attendees to think creatively and explore new applications of VR in healthcare.
Session 10: Open Data workshop 2 – case studies in data sharing for quantitative and qualitative research
Presenters: Maggie Woo Kinshella and Srinivas Murthy
Date: February 14, 2023
In this seminar attendees had the opportunity to learn from two successful examples of open data sharing for clinical research. Focus was on need for governance planning and types of platforms to use.
Session 9: Putting digital health to work; a celebration of digital health week at BCCHR/WHRI
Presenters:Tania Sze; May Tuason; Lori Brotto; Shazhan Amed; Chetna Jetha and Meereen Poonja
Date: November 17, 2022
Our annual celebration of digital health research includes research and evaluation talks from leading investigators and partners of BCCHR/WHRI. We showcase how digital health is being used to improve health and well being of women and children across BC and beyond.
Session 8: Open Data for Clinical Research
Presenters: Eugene Barsky and Brittney Schicter
Date: November 9, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Understand the new Tri-Agency Research Data Management policy and the analogous progress of UBC’s RDM strategy and how they can be applied.
(2) Understand ethical, privacy, and legal considerations of sharing data.
(3) Learn practical skills for incorporating open data language into REB applications and consent form.
Session 7: Applying behaviour change theories in digital health innovation
Presenters: Maggie Woo Kinshella and Louise Masse
Date: October 13, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Understand the value of using behaviour change theories for effective digital health interventions
(2) Identify and apply behaviour change theories to inform design of digital health projects
Session 6: Industry Partner Panel: Team Up, Apply for Funding, Improve Patient Care
Presenters: Amos Adler, Marina Pavlovic, David Helliwell, Ania Wysocka, Marc Fiume
Date: July 7, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Understand the value of academic research from an industry perspective and how to engage with digital health companies for collaborative research partnerships.
(2)Identify challenges and facilitators for collaborating on digital health research.
(3) Learn about digital health companies in Canada interested in partnering on digital health research.
Session 5: Methods and Approaches to Improving Health Equity Through Digital Innovation
Presenters: Camila Benmessaoud, Noor El-Dassouki, Dr. Shannon Freeman, Dr. Richard McAloney
Date: June 8, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Gain knowledge on methods and approaches to digital health research that focus on improving health equity.
(2) Understand the value that a focus on health equity brings to digital health research and solution development.
(3) Identify social determinants of health and other factors that can influence access, acceptability, likelihood of adoption and ultimately the level of benefit of digital health tools for patients and families.
(4) Understand the importance of partnering with diverse stakeholders in support of digital health research working towards improving health equity.
Session 4: Designing Better HIT: Usability & Human Factors Evaluation – Part 2/2
Presenters: Dr. Andre Kushniruk, Dr. Elizabeth Borycki
Date: May 12, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Describe the importance of human factors and usability in designing health care information technologies (HIT).
(2) Measure and evaluate HIT usability with simple, practical methods.
(3) Apply human factors and usability principles to design better digital health interventions.
Session 4: Designing Better HIT: Usability & Human Factors Evaluation – Part 1/2
Presenters: Dr. Andre Kushniruk, Dr. Elizabeth Borycki
Date: May 5, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Describe the importance of human factors and usability in designing health care information technologies (HIT).
(2) Measure and evaluate HIT usability with simple, practical methods.
(3) Apply human factors and usability principles to design better digital health interventions.
Session 3: Privacy & Ethics for Digital Health Research and Practice
Presenters: Dr. Holly Longstaff, Paulette Lacroix, Dr. Yoelit Lipinsky
Date: April 7, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Understand recent changes to BC privacy legislation and how it could impact digital health research in BC.
(2) Understand international privacy and ethics guidelines and their relevance to digital health research in BC.
(3) Gain knowledge about the privacy review process and requirements for researcher conducted at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.
Session 2: Applying Human Centred Design (HCD) for Better Digital Health Interventions
Presenters: Lee Payne, Dr. Helen Monkman, Misha Hasan
Date: February 3, 2022
Learners should be able to:
(1) Understand the concept of HCD applied to product development.
(2) Apply design thinking in development and evaluation of digital health technologies.
(3) Identify methods for human centred digital health interventions.
(4) Understand the importance of digital health literacy in design.
View the summary of the presentations and slides.
Session 1: Evaluating Health Information Systems (HIS): Methods and Considerations
Presenter: Dr. Elizabeth Borycki
Date: December 2, 2021
Learners should be able to:
(1) Define what a health information system is
(2) Define what can be evaluated
(3) Identify the main approaches used in evaluating HIS
(4) Identify when an evaluation should take place in development.