Awards and Recognition

International Awards

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National Awards

Provincial Awards

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SSHRC recipient Jessica Mor examines the commercialization of patient experiences

A few years ago, PhD student Jessica Mor happened upon a social media post on Instagram that featured Kim Kardashian advertising a particular morning sickness medication on her platform. The endorsement by the influencer did not however include any of the risks or side effects of the medication, effectively breaking US
advertising laws, and resulting in Kardashian being forced by US regulators, to delete her post.

This social media frenzy drew Mor’s interest, particularly the relationship between social media influencers, and the health and pharmaceutical industry, including its subsequent impact on patient safety. Her doctoral research at Bloomberg Nursing, however, also looks at another key player.

Third-party for-profit companies have emerged to create a thriving industry that seeks to identify, collect, analyze, and share data about patient experiences with drugs, including facilitating relationships between patient advocates and pharmaceutical
companies.

“There is very little known about these companies, or how this industry operates. We also don’t know much about how the commercialization of insights about the patient experience might impact policies or the promotion of pharmaceutical products,” says
Mor of her research. “The goal of my project is to describe the role of third-party, for-profit companies in facilitating the sharing of patient experience within pharmaceutical and health systems.”

Mor’s project is a successful recipient of the 2023 Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship, and is supervised by Assistant Professor Quinn Grundy, whose program of research also examines industry sponsorship and the commercial determinants of health.

According to the World Health Organization, the commercial determinants of health refer to the activities of the private sector that affect population health both directly or indirectly and positively or negatively.

Mor’s research is exploratory in nature, and, she says, a significant opportunity to map a novel industry that appears to have evolved to address the need for patient engagement and representation in policy processes designed to inform decisions about drugs. One of the ways she has decided to do this, is by finding samples of third-party companies, and analyzing their process, including who they work with and the activities they engage in.

Mor has a obtained a pilot sample of 19 companies from Canada, the US, Europe, and Australia, and will be one of the first to examine closely how they foster connections between patient advocates and pharmaceutical and health systems, including the role that they play in facilitating the sharing of patient experiences.

The second phase of her study will include recruiting participants, ideally, she says,
current or recent employees of these companies, who will be able to provide important context to gathered data.

From her early observations Mor has seen that the range of services provided
by some of these companies is diverse. Though they do not seem limited to a particular health condition, she has observed a greater focus on rare diseases or patients with chronic conditions. Many of the third-party companies have created websites to provide patients, particularly those living with a chronic condition, a place
to connect with others who live with a similar condition in an online community environment.

While this may be a positive and beneficial opportunity for patients, companies are also aggregating and analyzing the insights gleaned from these community platforms
and commercializing them. Some of these insights include patient experiences with various treatments for healthcare conditions, or services or supports that are needed, and pharmaceutical companies are these companies’ primary clients.

“It is important for patients to be involved in how drugs or devices get approved and having their engagement is a good thing, but the question I’m seeking answers to, is how do we mitigate any negative impacts from commercializing patient experiences and ensure diverse, equitable representation of patients’ lived experiences within health system and policy processes,” says Mor.

In terms of subsequent impacts, Mor points to various possibilities, including understanding ways to facilitate patient engagement in research, health system design, and policy processes, which might include public or other independent sources of funding for patient organizations or patient partners.

“Additionally, we should be looking at the implications of these relationships for pharmaceutical research, regulatory, payer, and prescriber decisions in the public interest. Generating this knowledge is important as it can help to shape future research and policy priorities,” says Mor.

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Jennifer Stinson receives prestigious CIHR Barer-Flood Prize in Health Services Research

Jennifer Stinson, a renowned researcher in the field of chronic pain management in children, has received the 2023 Barer-Flood Prize from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in recognition of her development of an innovative mobile app call ICanCope which supports young people living with sickle cell disease (SCD).

The prize, named in honour of the first two Scientific Directors of CIHR-IHSPR, Drs.
Morris Barer and Colleen Flood, recognizes the highest-ranking senior-career investigator who identifies as a woman, and their research excellence.

Dr. Stinson, a Professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Institute of
Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and Temerty Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, describes ICanCope as an adjunct to the care that young people with SCD receive in hospital, and sees it primarily as a way to help them
with chronic pain management.

“We know we cannot cure or alleviate the pain, but we can empower young people to live well with pain, and to manage it with resources and strategies that are effective, building their confidence in leading a fulfilling life,” says Stinson who also holds the Mary Jo Haddad Nursing Chair in Child Health and is a Senior Scientist in Child Health Evaluative Sciences at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

With the support of the Barer-Flood prize, Stinson is now implementing the app in SCD clinics across Canada and assessing how these clinics prescribe and champion the app for patients, and what obstacles might be in the way of ensuring all patients have access to the app.

The multidisciplinary team, led by Dr. Stinson and co-PI Dr. Chitra Lalloo (The Hospital for Sick Children; University of Toronto), includes top researchers and clinicians from across North America as well as three youth patient partners with lived experience of SCD pain.

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Two nurse researchers appointed to Canadian and American Academies of Nursing

Professor’s Monica Parry and Kimberley Widger have been named as Fellows to
the Canadian and American Academies of Nursing (CAN and AAN). This dual honour
highlights the impact of their scholarly and innovative work as researchers in
the fields of women’s cardiovascular care and pediatric palliative care.

Parry, who is also a practicing Nurse Practitioner and member of the Global Cardiovascular Nursing Leadership Forum, aims to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in women by 2030. She has led the development and testing of innovative interventions including web apps and a chatbot named Holly, to help women improve knowledge, symptom recognition, and management of their heart disease, especially
those who live in rural or remote settings.

“Women with cardiac pain and cardiac symptoms are under-diagnosed and under-treated,” says Parry, “that’s why it is imperative we continue to address this gap with our research, and I am grateful for the recognition that the CAN and AAN is providing through these fellowships.”

Widger, who is also the Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Palliative Care, and Nursing Research Associate with the Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) at the Hospital for Sick Children, has led a program of research aimed at advancing quality palliative care for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Most recently she has
partnered with the Canadian Alliance for Children’s Grief (CACG) to better understand the prevalence of children’s grief across Canada and the types of support or lack thereof available to children.

“Being recognized by both of these high-profile organizations is an honour, and I am pleased that the work I do to achieve health equity for children with life-threatening illness and their families, is being highlighted on a larger scale, as we continue to work to ensure children receive the care they need and deserve,” says Widger.

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Kelly Metcalfe receives national and international awards in recognition of groundbreaking research

Kelly Metcalfe, professor and associate dean of research and external relations at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is the recipient of three high profile awards that recognize the calibre of her solution-focused and groundbreaking research
that has improved the lives of women with a genetic predisposition for breast cancer.

In 2023, Metcalfe, who is also a Senior Scientist at Women’s College Hospital Research Institute, was named a Canadian Academy of Nursing Fellow and received the Order
of Merit from the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). Both awards emphasize the outstanding contributions of Metcalfe’s research and its impact on nursing clinical practice, specifically the prevention and treatment of hereditary breast cancers.

“I’m passionate about saving and improving the lives of women who have an elevated risk of breast and ovarian cancers,” says Metcalfe, “It is an honour for my work and
its impact to be recognized by the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Academy of Nursing, and to be named among the many accomplished nurse scientists
across the country.”

For decades Metcalfe has led a program of research on investigating how to prevent and treat cancers in individuals with a genetic predisposition to developing cancer, including the development and evaluation of models of care to increase access to genetic testing.

Metcalfe’s current research is focused on assessing an alternate model of care called Direct Rapid Genetic Testing or DRGT, for Canadians at high-risk of having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

In early 2024, Metcalfe along with 30 world-renowned nurse researchers, was inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. This tremendous honour reiterates her lasting impact on the field of nursing science.

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Martine Puts recognized for excellence in nursing research

The Renewal of the Canada Research Chair of Frail Older Adults, and the 2023 Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award

Martine Puts, a professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing has been successfully renewed as the Tier 2 Chairholder of the Canada Research Chair of
Frail Older Adults, a position she has held since 2018.

The Canada Research Chair recognizes Puts overall calibre of research which specifically aims to investigate ways in which to empower older adults to better meet
their needs throughout their health care experiences.

As she continues to work towards improving care for older adults, Puts’ most recent project, funded by the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, aims to address
inequity and aging in cancer treatment by looking at barriers to the enrollment of racialized older adults in clinical cancer trials.

In 2023, Puts also received the Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Research, from the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
The award recognizes the high standards of the nursing profession and the impact of nurse-led research in areas of education and practice.

Puts is one of the few Canadians to be recognized with this award drawing international attention to the outstanding impact of her research contributions that have aimed to improve the quality of life and treatment of older adults with cancer.

“I can honestly say it is a surprise to have won, and it is wonderful recognition of my work,” says Puts. “This award shines a spotlight on the importance of conducting
research that considers the outcomes of current practices and seeks to improve the care of older adults, whether that is in long-term care, or in the treatment of certain diseases like cancer.”

Some of Puts’ additional research demonstrating her impact have included the first multi-centre trial of geriatric assessment and management in Canada, as well as the Frail Sub-Study which explored the needs of frail older adults, and their caregivers, undergoing surgery.

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Alexia Cumal receives CIHR Doctoral Award to examine nurse-led mobility intervention in transitional care programs

Alexia Cumal, a PhD student at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, received a 2022 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Grant in support of her innovative doctoral research evaluating a nurse-led mobility intervention within Transitional Care Programs or (TCPs) in Ontario.

TCPs are a creative solution for providing older adults with an alternative level of care (ALC) if they no longer meet the requirements for acute care but cannot yet be discharged home. Cumal who works as a registered nurse on an acute care for elders unit, has witnessed an increasing number of older adults who require alternate levels of care. In 2021, a Canadian Medical Association report found that 44 per cent of ALC patients are waiting for long-term care while 11 per cent are waiting for home care.

“This is significant because it not only indicates that we need more transitional care programs but also that there is some fine tuning required to ensure these programs have the resources in place to assist older adults with cognitive impairment,” says Cumal who is also a Research Trainee at KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network.

“I wanted to see if nurse-led mobility interventions could be a part of the solution.”

Focusing on mobility, Cumal along with her PhD supervisor Kathy McGilton, a Professor (status) at Bloomberg Nursing and a Senior Scientist at KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network, are examining the feasibility of, satisfaction with, and effectiveness of a nurse-led mobility intervention called the OASIS Walking Intervention.

The OASIS Walking Intervention stands for Older Adults with cognitive impairment performing SIt to Stands and Walking Intervention. It is delivered by a Registered Nurse in transitional care units and consists of 3 components: 1) a patient-centred communication care plan; 2) sit to stand activity; and 3) a walking program. The intervention duration is 45 minutes per session, 5 sessions per week, for 6 weeks. The detailed protocol for Cumal’s study has been published in the PLOS ONE journal.

Cumal says that mobility interventions that have been tested in long-term care settings have resulted in significant improvements to mobility, functional status, and quality of life for older adults with cognitive impairment. It is expected that a nurse-led mobility
intervention which combines walking and sit to stand activity together with a patient-centred communication care plan, will also result in improvements to outcomes for older adults with cognitive impairment in TCPs.

“My hope is that I will continue to positively impact the care and health outcomes of older adults with cognitive impairment through my research and underscore that mobility should be prioritized by nurses, both in transitional care units and in all health care settings, strength, and quality of life,” says Cumal.