Good Tech, Compassionate Healthcare AMS Healthcare

In this conversation, Kieran Quinn, a general internist and palliative care clinician-scientist at Sinai Health in the Department of Medicine and at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, and James Downer, a critical care and palliative care physician in Ottawa, discuss virtual end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://pcpcrc.ca/ - The Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative is a national network of researchers, healthcare providers, community stakeholders, and patient and caregiver partners who are passionate about palliative care research.
Dr. Kieran Quinn is a General Internist and Palliative Care Clinician-Scientist at Sinai Health in the Department of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto and an Adjunct Scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). His research focuses on using advanced analytic methods and large administrative datasets to improve access and delivery of high-quality end-of-life care for patients with terminal noncancer illness, such as heart failure and dementia, and improving the recognition and care of people with post COVID-19 condition (long COVID). Dr. Quinn was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal for Academic Excellence and the John Charles Polanyi Prize in Physiology and Medicine. He is co-lead of Canada’s national research network on post COVID-19 condition and co-chair for the development of clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of post COVID-19 condition. He served as the Assistant Director of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, the Ontario Public Health Emergencies Science Advisory Committee, and as an Expert Member of the Chief Science Advisor’s National Task Force on the Post COVID-19 Condition. His early research success includes over $28 million in competitive grant funding and 7 CIHR grants as the nominated principal applicant. He has mentored 12 trainees who have published and won several awards for their work together. He has 103 peer-reviewed publications, including 52 as first author or senior author in high-impact journals such as JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, and BMJ.
Dr. James Downar is a Critical Care and Palliative Care physician in Ottawa. He graduated from McGill Medical School and completed residency training in Internal Medicine, Critical Care, and Palliative Care at the University of Toronto. He has a Master’s degree in Bioethics from the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto. He is currently the Head of the Division of Palliative Care at the University of Ottawa and a Professor in the Department of Medicine. He is the chair of Palliative and End-of-Life Care at the University of Ottawa, the co-chair of the Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative, the chair of the Ethical Affairs committee of the Canadian Critical Care Society, and the co-chair of the Ontario Palliative Care Network’s Provincial Education Steering Committee. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, has been principal investigator on more than 20 peer-reviewed grants, and is a former Associated Medical Services Phoenix Fellow. Dr. Downar also led several provincial and national efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was involved in planning for medication shortages for both critical care and palliative care and led the development of a critical care triage system for the event of major surge in critically ill patients His research interests include communication and decision-making for seriously ill patients and their families; Palliative Care for the Critically Ill; and Palliative Care for Noncancer Illnesses.
http://amshealthcare.ca/

In this conversation, Charlene Ronquillo, a Filipina scholar, registered nurse, and health implementation expert at the University of British Columbia School of Nursing, engages in a captivating dialogue with Chantelle Recsky, a dedicated nurse and postdoctoral research fellow.

Together, they delve into the crucial topic of "Advancing Compassionate and Equitable Healthcare through Technology." Charlene, an AMS healthcare fellow and compassion and AI advocate, brings her extensive background as a health informatician, focusing on critical theory and implementation science. Her program of research is dedicated to ensuring the meaningful inclusion of non-dominant groups in the development of health technologies. Join them as they explore Charlene's recent work, which investigates the role of nursing data in shaping opportunities to embed health equity in machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence for health systems.

Chantelle, driven by her passion for improving healthcare, shares insights into collaborative research methods. As a postdoctoral research fellow hosted at BC Cancer in partnership with the UBC School of Nursing, Chantelle's research centers around the intersection of technology and quality of care. With a keen interest in the unintended consequences of advancing technologies in the health system, she contributes valuable perspectives to the discussion.

Tune in for a thought-provoking exploration of compassionate, equitable, and inclusive technology use in healthcare, featuring two dynamic voices at the forefront of shaping the future of nursing and health informatics.

Chantelle: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/51211.html
Charlene: https://www.charleneronquillo.com/
Nursing & Artificial Intelligence Leadership (NAIL) Collaborative https://www.nailcollab.org/

In this conversation, Laura Sikstrom, a Medical Anthropologist and Project Scientist at The Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, and an AMS Healthcare fellow in Compassion and AI, speaks with Sean Hill, the Director of The Krembil Center for Neuroinformatics, Senior Scientist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, and Professor at the University of Toronto. They discuss the meaning of fairness in mental health and the concepts used to support.
Dr. Laura Sikstrom is also an assistant professor (status-only) in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Sikstrom also co-leads the Predictive Care Team at CAMH, which focuses on the intricate intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and mental health care. By integrating computational techniques with ethnographic insights, this team investigates the potential and challenges of incorporating AI into mental health practice, with a focus on compassionate and equitable care. Dr. Sikstrom received funding from AMS Healthcare, Google, SSHRC and CIHR and is also a nominee for the prestigious Governor General’s Gold Award. 
Dr. Sean Hill is also a computational neuroscientist with experience in building large-scale computational models of brain circuitry. The Centre collaborates with clinicians and researchers, employing neuroinformatics, artificial intelligence, and multi-scale modeling, to develop data-driven definitions of brain disorders, predict patient trajectories, and transform mental health care. Dr. Hill applies large-scale data integration, neuroinformatics, multiscale brain modeling and machine learning to improve our understanding and treatment of mental health disorders. The Centre’s mandate is to accelerate global collaborations in brain science using the power of big data and brain modeling to fundamentally change how mental illness is understood.
Resources:
Sikstrom, Laura, Marta M. Maslej, Zoe Findlay, Gillian Strudwick, Katrina Hui, Juveria Zaheer,
Sean L. Hill, and Daniel Z. Buchman. 2023. “Predictive Care: A Protocol for a Computational
Ethnographic Approach to Building Fair Models of Inpatient Violence in Emergency
Psychiatry.” 
Sikstrom, Laura, Marta M. Maslej, Katrina Hui, Zoe Findlay, Daniel Z. Buchman, and Sean L. Hill.
2022. “Conceptualising Fairness: Three Pillars for Medical Algorithms and Health Equity.” 
What is ‘AI’ and what is it doing in psychiatry? A webinar presented at the RBC Patient & Family
Learning Space, CAMH, November 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVUs-BnGIOU
What happens to our brains when we get depressed? The Walrus, 2021, by Simon Lewsen.
https://thewalrus.ca/what-happens-to-our-brains-when-we-get-depressed/

In this conversation Dr. Kumanan Wilson, speaks to Jaron Chong, discuss the opportunities for generative AI in healthcare diagnosis, efficiencies and education today and tomorrow.
Dr. Jaron Chong is an Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Radiology at the Department of Medical Imaging at Western University. He completed diagnostic radiology residency training at McGill University with a Body Cross-Sectional Imaging Fellowship at Yale New-Haven Hospital and a Masters in Health Informatics at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests include cross-sectional abdominal imaging, Abdominal/GU oncologic imaging in MRI and CT modalities, with research interests in the appropriate utilization of medical imaging and AI-assisted augmented radiology.
He serves as the Chair of the Canadian Association of Radiology Standing Committee on
Artificial Intelligence and Ad-Hoc Member of the Health Canada Scientific Advisory Committee
on Digital Health Technologies.

Dr. Kumanan Wilson is a board member at AMS.  He is the Interim CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, Bruyère Research Institute and VP Research and Academic Affairs, Bruyère Continuing Care. He had previously served as an innovation advisor for Bruyère.
Dr. Wilson is also a specialist in General Internal Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital and a Full
Professor and Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Chair in Digital Health Innovation at the
University of Ottawa. He is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of CANImmunize, a
science-based technology company specializing in immunization software. Dr. Wilson’s research focuses on digital health, health data, immunization, pandemic preparedness and public health policy and innovation.
He has received support from multiple organizations including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the World Health Organization (WHO), The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Canada’s Immunity Task Force.

In this conversation, Ibukun Abejirinde, a scientist at the Institute for Health System Solutions at Women's College Hospital, and Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and an AMS Healthcare Fellow in Compassion and AI chats with Terence Tang, a General Internal Medicine Physician at Trillium Health Partners, a Clinician Scientist at the Institute for Better Health and an AMS Healthcare Fellow in Compassion and AI. They discuss social determinants of health, health inequities, and digitally enabled models of care.
Ibukun Abejirinde is an Implementation and Evaluation Scientist who works with policymakers, patients, community organizations, and researchers to find practical solutions to persistent and emergent problems in healthcare. Her research focus on innovative models of care that use digital technology.
Specifically, how they impact health equity and health service delivery. Ultimately, her goal is to improve access to high-quality care for everyone, irrespective of where they live or where they are from.
Dr. Abejirinde is currently a Scientist at the Institute for Health System Solutions, Women’s College Hospital where her work informs the implementation, sustainability, and expansion of virtual care programs within and beyond Ontario. She is also an Assistant Professor (Status) at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. As a 2022 AMS Healthcare Fellow in Compassion and AI, her study is being conducted in partnership with three community partners, with the aim of understanding how immigrants and refugees to Canada experience virtual care and digital health compassion.
 AMS Research Team Members
- Ibukun Abejirinde (Scientist/Principal Investigator)
- Emily Ha (Research Associate and PhD candidate, UoT)
- Marlena Dang Nguyen (Equity Specialist and Research Coordinator)
- Kyla Gaeul Lee (PhD student, UoT)
- Isabelle Choon-Kon-Yune (Research Assistant)
- Mohaddesa Khawari (Peer Researcher)
AMS Study Research Partners
1. FCJ Refugee Centre Website
2. Crossroads Clinic, Women’s College Hospital Website
3. Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services Website
AMS Research Advisory Team Members
1. Dr. Vanessa Redditt
2. Denise Zarn
3. Dr. Onil Bhattacharyya
4. Dr. Jay Shaw
Readings and Resources
1. Abejirinde IO, Ha E, Nguyen MD, Kaur D, Redditt V. Beyond technology: Digital Health
Compassion for Canadian Immigrants and Refugees. January 2023. Volume 19, Number 4.
Canadian Diversity (pg. 10-12). https://km4s.ca/2023/04/beyond-technology-digital-health-
compassion-for-canadian-immigrants-and-refugees/
2. Panel Discussion. Digital Health Imperative - Equity and System Transformation. Access Alliance
Multicultural Health and Community Services, Canada. All Staff Professional Development Day.
November 2022. Summaries- blog and video clip
3. Hankivsky, O., Grace, D., Hunting, G. et al. An intersectionality-based policy analysis framework:
critical reflections on a methodology for advancing equity. Int J Equity Health 13, 119 (2014).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-014-0119-x
4. Hodges BD, Paech G, Bennett J. Without Compassion, There Is No Healthcare: Compassionate
Care in a Technological World. Edited by Brian D. Hodges, Gail Paech, and Jocelyn Bennett.
McGill-Queen’s University Press; 2020.
5. Crenshaw K. Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of
Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics [1989]. In: 1st ed. Routledge;
1991:57-80. doi:10.4324/9780429500480-5
6. Singh P, King-Shier K, Sinclair S. The colours and contours of compassion: A systematic review of
the perspectives of compassion among ethnically diverse patients and healthcare providers. Van
Bogaert P, ed. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(5):e0197261. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197261
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In this episode, Dr. Connie Schumacher, Assistant Professor of Nursing at Brock University and an AMS fellow in compassionate AI, and Dr. Andrew Costa, Associate Professor at McMaster University and the Research Director at the St. Joseph's Health System Center for Integrative Care in Hamilton and Connie's mentor, discuss Connie's research on compassion centered communication of risk and self administered online health assessments.
St. Joseph's Center for Integrated Care - Centre for Integrated Care (stjoescic.ca)
YourCare+ Check-Up Assessment -  YourCare+ (yourcareplus.ca)
References
Schumacher, C., Dash, D., Mowbray, F., Klea, L., & Costa, A. (2021). A qualitative study of home care
client and caregiver experiences with a complex cardio-respiratory management model. BMC
geriatrics, 21(1), 1-11. 
Costa, A. P., Schumacher, C., Jones, A., Dash, D., Campbell, G., Junek, M., ... & Haughton, D. (2019).
DIVERT-Collaboration Action Research and Evaluation (CARE) Trial Protocol: a multiprovincial pragmatic
cluster randomised trial of cardiorespiratory management in home care. BMJ open, 9(12), e030301.
Jones, A., Schumacher, C., Bronskill, S. E., Campitelli, M. A., Poss, J. W., Seow, H., & Costa, A. P.
(2018). The association between home care visits and same-day emergency department use: a
case–crossover study. CMAJ, 190(17), E525-E531. 
Jones, A., Bronskill, S. E., Agarwal, G., Seow, H., Feeny, D., & Costa, A. P. (2019). The primary care and
other health system use of home care patients: a retrospective cohort analysis. Canadian Medical
Association Open Access Journal, 7(2), E360-E370.