RESEARCH PROJECTS
These are a sample of our active research projects
EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF A NEW PHYSIOTHERAPIST-LED PRIMARY CARE MODEL FOR PEOPLE WITH BACK PAIN: A CLUSTER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Funding: CIHR Project Grant
This project aims to evaluate the impact of integrating physiotherapists at the first point of contact for family health teams across Ontario.
UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES OF THE COMBINATION OF SELF-MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND OPIOID DE-PRESCRIBING IN PRIMARY CARE: AN IMPLEMENTATION STUDY USING A MULTIPLE CASE STUDIES DESIGN
Funding: CIHR Operating Grant
This implementation science project aims to understand factors associated with successful implementation of the combination of opioid deprescribing and self-management support. Additionally, the study will evaluate the experiences and outcomes of participants.
IMPROVING ENTRY-LEVEL PAIN EDUCATION ACROSS CANADIAN PHYSIOTHERAPY PROGRAMS: AN INTEGRATED KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION STUDY
Funding: CIHR Project Grant
This project uses an integrated knowledge translation approach to create novel assessment tools, identify effective educational parameters, and develop an implementation plan for a knowledge translation intervention aimed at improving pain education for entry-level physiotherapy students across Canada.
DEVELOPMENT AND PILOT TESTING OF AN ADVANCED PRACTICE PHYSIOTHERAPY ROLE IN CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT
Funding: University Hospitals Kingston Foundation - Women's Giving Circle
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MANUAL THERAPY WITH EXERCISE FOR NECK PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Funding: none
This project will synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of the combination of manual therapy and exercise for people with neck pain.
UNDERSTANDING TEAM-BASED PRIMARY CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW BACK PAIN
Funding: CIHR Doctoral Research Award and CIHR Project Grant
Led by PhD Student Kyle Vader, this research will improve our understanding of the experience of accessing team-based primary care, the challenges of providing team-based primary care, and the experiences of providers and patients with a new PT-led primary care model for low back pain.
PATIENT FUNCTION AS A PRIMARY CARE INDICATOR
Funding: none
Led by Dsc student Greg Cutforth, this research will understand the perspectives of patients and healthcare providers regarding the use of patient function as an indicator of primary care performance. Additionally, this work will achieve consensus on a function indicator(s) that can be used in primary care settings.
DEFINING A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION IN CARE AFTER SURGERY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH FRAILTY
Funding: University of Ottawa Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Research Grants Competition
Led by PhD student Emily Hladkowicz, this research will involve a scoping review to evaluate what outcomes and experience are being evaluated in the literature and a mixed methods study to understand what outcomes and processes are important to older adults living with frailty and their caregivers.
UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCE OF PROVIDING OR RECEIVING POST- OPERATIVE PAIN MANAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE ON OPIOID AGONIST THERAPY
Funding: none
Led by PhD student Katherine Poser, this research will synthesize existing literature on acute pain management for people on opioid agonist therapy and improve understanding of the challenges of acute pain management for people on opioid agonist therapy from the perspective of patients and healthcare providers.
ESTABLISHING FOUNDATIONS FOR RESEARCH ON SELF-MANAGEMENT IN THE ETHIOPIAN HEALTHCARE CONTEXT
Funding: MasterCard Foundation
Led by PhD student Mulugeta Chala, this area of research will establish three critical foundations for future research evaluating self-management supports for people living with pain in Ethiopia: i) an understanding of the experience of living with pain in Ethiopia; ii) an understanding healthcare providers' knowledge and perspectives of self-management supports; and iii) tools to evaluate outcomes of self-management supports for people with low back pain.
DEVELOPMENT AND PILOT TESTING OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW BACK PAIN IN ETHIOPIA
Funding: MasterCard Foundation
Led by PhD student Sintayehu Daba Wami, the overall aim of this research is to develop and test the feasibility of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for people with chronic low back pain in Ethiopia through a randomized pilot trial. This research will consider theory, evidence, and practical issues to develop the intervention in Ethiopian context. Accordingly, we will synthesis the existing knowledge through a scoping review to determine the components of multidisciplinary rehabilitation program evaluated in the literature, explore patients and health care providers perspectives to identify barriers, enablers, and strategies to tailor the intervention to the Ethiopian context, and test the feasibility of the intervention developed through a randomized pilot trial. Overall, this research will lay the foundations to future randomized control trial designed to assess the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for people with chronic low back pain in developing countries.
ADVANCING COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF PAIN IN THE ETHIOPIAN HEALTHCARE CONTEXT
Funding: MasterCard Foundation
Led by PhD student Abey Abebe, this research will improve our understanding of the experiences of patients and health care providers when communicating about pain, and will provide validated tools that can facilitate communication during pain assessment.
UNDERSTANDING THE HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION AND PERCEIVED NEEDS OF VETERANS LIVING WITH PAIN
Funding: CIHR Post-doctoral Fellowship
Led by post-doctoral fellow Goris Nazari, this research aims to provide a better understanding of the healthcare needs of Veterans living with pain.
UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES OF AQUATIC THERAPY FOR CANADIAN ARMED FORCES VETERANS LIVING WITH PAIN
Funding: Mitacs (Industry Partner: Hydrathletics)
Led by post-doctoral fellow Nicholas Held, this research aim to understand the experiences and outcomes of Canadian Armed Forces Veterans living with pain when participating in aquatic therapy.
PHYSIOTHERAPY CARE IN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS FOR PATIENTS WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS: A PRAGMATIC CLUSTER RCT AND COST ANALYSIS
Funding: CIHR project grant
Led by Dr. François Desmeules, Université de Montréal, we are a participating site in a project focusing on the integration of physiotherapists as the first point of contact for musculoskeletal disorders presenting to emergency departments in Canada.