PCHI Telehealth Research

We are currently conducting a number of research studies in telehealth.

Organizational and technological innovations for the deployment of patient-centred best practices:
Early Supported Discharge (ESD) Project for Stroke Clients

Stroke can affect people’s functioning, social participation and quality of life. It is important to intervene quickly with sufficient intensity of intervention in order to optimize recovery. Waiting lists for intensive functional rehabilitation (IFR) programs and limited resources mean that patients currently do not have access to this level of rehabilitation intensity at the right time. A program called Early Supported Discharge (ESD) has been put in place at the CIUSSS West-Central as a solution so that the people can start their IFR at home as soon as they return. Telehealth solutions have been shown to facilitate the process for certain aspects of this type of ESD program, and to potentially improve its results.  During COVID the ESD program was able to continue delivering home-based rehabilitation using telehealth. They delivered over 350 remote home visits by video conferencing.

  • Assess the acceptability of the ESD project and telehealth by patients, caregivers and clinicians, as well as their experiences
  • Assess the degree of integration of telehealth into the clinical activities of the ESD
  • Assess the impact of ESD use with telehealth on a) patient/family b) clinical care and services,
  • Assess the costs and savings associated with telehealth during the implementation phase.

To meet these objectives, this study will include a pre-implantation evaluation of telehealth, adaptation of a platform to the clinical workflow of the ESD, and an 18-month period of telehealth implementation. These technological solutions are expected to increase the quality and effectiveness of the care provided under the ESD program.  We will examine these objectives before the COVID pandemic started and up to 1 year after the start of the COVID pandemic.  Results will provide valuable information about the impact of telehealth on improving ESD care processes and on patient outcomes. We will also disseminate recommendations on the best practices including criteria for using telehealth and client specific protocols.

  • Dr. Sara Ahmed, Associate Professor, McGill University, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Felicia Guarna, Director of Rehabilitation, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’Ile-de-Montréal
  • Mary Lattas, Associate Director of Rehabilitation and Multidisciplinary Services, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’Ile-de-Montréal
  • Pascaline Kengne Talla, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy

  • Annie Rochette, PhD, Professor, University of Montreal,
  • Dahlia Kairy, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Montreal,
  • Veronique Nabelsi, PhD, University of Laval
  • Post-doctoral Fellow: Zachary Boychuck, PhD, McGill University, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy
  • Alexander Dahli, President,  Akinox Solutions Inc.
  • Cindy Starnino, Director of Academic Affairs, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
  • Joanne Cot ed, Deputy Director, Innovation & Analytics, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
  • Nancy Cox, Rehabilitation Coordinator, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
  • Ivy Gumboc , Coordinator ESD program, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
  • Antoinette Ghanem, Senior Advisor, Telehealth Coordination Centre
  • Dominic Labranche, Associate Director ambulatory service and support for trajectories and transformation, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
  • Jeffrey Minuk, Head of Neuroscience, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
  • Heather Stiglitz, External Clinical Coordinator, CIUSSS du Center-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal

Fonds de soutien à l’innovation en santé et en services sociaux (FSISSS-2-2-43)

Person-Centred Health Informatics

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