Past Projects
Optimizing support and service delivery for problem gambling among people living with complex needs
Co-Principal Investigators: Drs. Flora Matheson & Sara Guilcher
Co-Investigators: Drs. Stephan Hwang, Nigel Turner & Wayne Skinner
The main goal of this project is to improve practice and optimize recovery for people experiencing problem gambling (PG) and who have complex health and social needs. This project involves collaboration with a large network of community partners to document current knowledge on interventions that optimize recovery from problem gambling, increase awareness and identify ways to help the health professions feel more comfortable providing care for people experiencing problem gambling within their practices. Qualitative interviews with persons who have experienced PG and are living with complex needs were conducted to understand their experiences and current self-management strategies as well as to determine their interest in, and capabilities with, technology to determine if an app helpful would be a helpful self-management tool. A focus group was also conducted with partnering agency staff to gather their perspectives on client service delivery and support needs. By engaging these groups, we will gain a better understand of the kinds of interventions that might be appropriate for people experiencing problem gambling. This data is being used to co-create an app with, and for, consumers to help with self-management of their symptoms, treatment course, the physical and psychosocial consequences of gambling and lifestyle changes.
Funders: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Research Staff: Amanda Everall
MSc Student: Lauren Cadel
Publications: Self-management strategies for problem gambling.pdf
Co-Principal Investigators: Drs. Flora Matheson & Sara Guilcher
Co-Investigators: Drs. Stephan Hwang, Nigel Turner & Wayne Skinner
The main goal of this project is to improve practice and optimize recovery for people experiencing problem gambling (PG) and who have complex health and social needs. This project involves collaboration with a large network of community partners to document current knowledge on interventions that optimize recovery from problem gambling, increase awareness and identify ways to help the health professions feel more comfortable providing care for people experiencing problem gambling within their practices. Qualitative interviews with persons who have experienced PG and are living with complex needs were conducted to understand their experiences and current self-management strategies as well as to determine their interest in, and capabilities with, technology to determine if an app helpful would be a helpful self-management tool. A focus group was also conducted with partnering agency staff to gather their perspectives on client service delivery and support needs. By engaging these groups, we will gain a better understand of the kinds of interventions that might be appropriate for people experiencing problem gambling. This data is being used to co-create an app with, and for, consumers to help with self-management of their symptoms, treatment course, the physical and psychosocial consequences of gambling and lifestyle changes.
Funders: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Research Staff: Amanda Everall
MSc Student: Lauren Cadel
Publications: Self-management strategies for problem gambling.pdf
Pharmacy communication partnership program pilot study
Co-Principle Investigators: Drs. Lisa McCarthy, Sara Guilcher & Olavo Fernandes
Co-Investigators: Karen Cameron, John Farrell, Philip Lui, John Papastergiou, Gary Wong, Dr. Pauline Pariser
Transitions between community and acute care settings are high risk periods for all patients in terms of medication errors. The PROMPT (Pharmacy Communication Partnership) program establishes formal communication links between hospital and community pharmacists with the goal of sharing clinically relevant information across transitions of patient care to facilitate avoidance and resolution of these errors. The goals of this second iteration of the PROMPT study are based on the findings of a pilot study that took place between February to November of 2016. Through telephone surveys and interviews with both community and hospital pharmacists who participated in PROMPT, the current project explores how well this program works, whether changes are needed to maximize its usefulness, and how such a program might best be implemented. The PROMPT study team brings together scientists, experienced administrators, and recognized health professional leaders from the University of Toronto, local academic health centres, and community pharmacy, who together have the knowledge, resources and influence to realize these goals.
Funders: Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy; Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists; Centre for Practice Excellence, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
Research Staff: Miles Luke, Amanda Everall, Clara Korenvain
Students: Shawn Varghese, Nanar Ghorghorian, Laurel Liang, Jessica Visentin, Taylor Raiche
