UNews - healthcare

Kovalchuk earns CIHR Chair

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:55:14 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Olga Kovalchuk is the recipient of a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Chair dedicated to examining the effects occupational radiation exposure has on men and women working in nuclear industries.

Canada is home to one of the highest concentrations of nuclear activity in the world. Nearly 40,000 people work in Canada's nuclear industry, while 800,000 individuals work in nuclear sectors worldwide. The number of females working in these industries has increased over time, making this project much more critical.

The Chair, which falls under CIHR's Gender, Work and Health program, will examine whether men and women are affected differently in nuclear work environments, which includes the nuclear power industry, healthcare and research departments.

Dr. Kovalchuk's work will examine whether females are equally protected in these environments. Established radiation protection guidelines are historically based on how the male's body is affected.

"I will collaborate with researchers in Russia and we will analyze their nuclear industry cohort. The knowledge can be applied in Canada and all over the world," says Kovalchuk, whose work was inspired by her experience as a high school student in the Ukraine in 1986, while living only 600 kilometres from Chernobyl, the site of the worst nuclear accident in history.

This Chair will provide an exciting opportunity to develop an international collaborative network. The network will have research representation from Canada, USA, Russia and key knowledge-users including Defence Research and Development Canada, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Health Canada and the Nuclear Information and Resource (NIRS - USA).

"The Chair will be an initiative that will have a global impact and will position Canada as a global leader in radiation and environmental health research and radiation protection research," says Kovalchuk.

The CIHR award is for $800,000 over five years.

Vice-President (Research) Dr. Dan Weeks says this funding exemplifies the important contribution that U of L researchers are making in improving the quality of life of Canadians.

"This type of research is representative of the impact U of L faculty members continue to make for the benefit of Canadians. Dr. Kovalchuk's work will benefit tremendously a segment of the workforce that faces particular risks," says Weeks. "The impact the U of L is making in health related areas grows every year."

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is the Government of Canada's health research investment agency. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system.

McDaniel earns first Tier I CRC for social sciences

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:35:12 +0000

Dr. Susan McDaniel, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Sociology Professor and Director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, has been named a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, the first Tier 1 CRC in social sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The seven-year, renewable appointment comes with more than $1.4 million, which will support the Prentice Institute's ever-increasing research capacity.

The funding helps McDaniel and her research colleagues look beyond numbers, and dig deeper into the complex issues that face people over the course of their lives, such as aging, income inequalities, access to health care, how global issues affect people, and policies that take aging and population shifts into consideration.

"This is an outstanding announcement for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and for Dr. McDaniel and her research teams," says Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L's vice-president (research). "Susan has done an excellent job of putting the Prentice Institute on a trajectory that will make it a world-recognized centre. She has attracted a significant number of researchers to the Institute as research associates, which in turn has built up our graduate student component. With this new funding, Dr. McDaniel and her colleagues will be able to significantly expand on the Prentice Institute's mandate to look into population issues worldwide."

Dr. Susan McDaniel is the director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy.

There are three areas McDaniel – and her expanding group of researchers – is examining through what she describes as life-course research. These include comparisons between Canadian and other population groups, initially in the United States; the government-supported policy steps countries such as Japan and Korea have taken to manage the challenges of an aging population; and the concept of age itself, and how factors such as economic conditions, lack of healthcare or being a refugee from a war-torn country can have on your life expectancy.

"The life-course research concept has several principles, among them that you need to follow a person through their life to get a solid picture of how they are affected by a variety of influences," says McDaniel. "We are following individuals across time because at each point in your life course, you exist in a context within a society. For example, if a person graduates from high school or university at a time when the economy is not healthy, they might have trouble finding a job. A whole group of people may be disadvantaged over a long period because of that one moment in time."

By comparison, McDaniel says that a person who benefits from a strong economy may land a better job, have better educational opportunities and also have a longer life expectancy.

"We are expanding on research where we looked at Americans aged 45-64 over a 14-year period and a similar group of Canadians over a 16-year period, and found that income inequalities make a huge difference for their prospects in later years, " says McDaniel.

McDaniel is also examining how government policy has changed the way people live in countries where aging and significant population change is normal, such as in Japan and Korea, two countries with very different challenges.

"Japan is the 'oldest' country in the world, while Korea has a relatively young population but it will age very quickly," says McDaniel. "What we are finding is that innovations are unexpected. Both Korea and Japan have instituted publicly funded long-term care insurance. When speaking to the Koreans about why they implemented it at this time, the response was that they could afford it now while the population is young, as opposed to being unable to afford it later."

McDaniel said that what Japan did to respond to its aging population was to encourage more women to enter the workforce, and made it easier by instituting public daycare.

The other issue McDaniel looks to tackle as part of her research, is changing the fundamental notion of age from a number to a concept that takes a whole host of lifestyle experiences into consideration, among them health, education, economic circumstances and other factors.

"You need to look at age differently based on what happens to a person during their life. A person in a risky or blue-collar occupation might age differently than someone in a less dangerous or physically demanding job," she says. "We need to have a flexible definition of what is 'old', because this research, while not yet fully completed, is important in policy development."

Keeping a finger on the pulse of these worldwide indicators is keeping McDaniel and her teams constantly busy. The research projects will ultimately wind up as journal articles or become part of four books currently in process.

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Linking past to present

trevor.kenney — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:35:16 +0000

When the Galt School of Nursing Alumni gifted close to $150,000 in scholarship money to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge nursing program, it was a case of the past meeting the present to benefit the future.

"We're very pleased to continue in the tradition established by the Galt School of Nursing and are proud to educate the next generation of nursing professionals," says U of L president, Dr. Mike Mahon.

For nearly 70 years (1910 to 1979), the Galt School of Nursing trained more than 1,100 nurses who played a key role in providing quality health care to the residents of southern Alberta. The Galt family first established a fund in 1910 that supported nursing students and helped to purchase equipment for the school of nursing.

"It is remarkable that this fund has carried over for more than 100 years, from the pioneering Galt family to the present day," says Donna Karl, RN, and a 1963 graduate of the Galt School of Nursing.

Galt School of Nursing Alumni enjoyed connecting with today's students.

Administered by the Galt Alumni Association for the past 15 years, it provided scholarships to descendants of Galt alumni, but as applications waned in recent years, the association wanted to put the money to good use.

"When we realized that, due to our alumni's aging population, we were not receiving many applications for scholarships, we knew it was time to move this money to a place where it would be utilized and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's nursing program was an obvious choice," says Karl.

While descendants of Galt alumni are still in the terms of reference for the rewarding of scholarships, academic merit will weigh heavily. The fund will be endowed to provide scholarships to entering or continuing Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Nursing After Degree third- and fourth-year students.

"Nursing is all about caring for people and I can see that the students today are carrying on in that tradition," says Karl, who, along with other alumni, toured the new Simulation Health Centre with current students.

"The nursing students that I met today are still all about taking care of people but are far more educated than we were because of the facilities available to them. That lab we toured is wonderful!"

Karl, who works part time at Lethbridge College in the Health Services Office, says the alumni association felt a great responsibility to administer the fund.

"For years we've been managing that money like it was our own – there were about six of us who would gather around my kitchen table and make decisions about scholarships," she says. "We looked after that money very well and gave it out very carefully. I'm happy that the U of L will be able to look after that from here out."

That it will live on in perpetuity and continue a century-old tradition of supporting nursing students is gratifying to Karl.

"I absolutely love this profession, and am really pleased to still be working nearly 50 years after being in school," she says. "Much has changed since 1963 – we certainly didn't have the facilities or services today's students have – but we can continue to ensure today's students are supported throughout their education."

GET THE FACTS

· The U of L first established a School of Nursing in 1980.

· There are 698 students currently enrolled in the nursing program, which is now offered jointly by Lethbridge College and the U of L's Faculty of Health Sciences.

· To date, more than 1,500 nurses have graduated from the U of L's nursing program.

· The Galt family built and supported the original Galt Hospital, which is now the site of the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives.

· The scholarship transfer agreement required a change in provincial legislation, facilitated at a government level by former nurse and healthcare provider Bridget Pastoor, MLA Lethbridge East.

New Canada Research Chair at Prentice Institute

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:08:04 +0000

Dr. Susan McDaniel, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Sociology professor and director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, has been named a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Global Population and Economy, the first Tier 1 CRC in social sciences at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

The seven-year, renewable appointment comes with more than $1.4 million, which will support the Prentice Institute's ever-increasing research capacity.

The funding helps McDaniel and her research colleagues look beyond numbers, and dig deeper into the complex issues that face people over the course of their lives, such as aging, income inequalities, access to health care, how global issues affect people and policies that take aging and population shifts into consideration.

"This is an outstanding announcement for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and for Dr. McDaniel and her research teams," says Dr. Dan Weeks, the U of L's Vice-President, Research.

In total, 253 newly awarded or renewed Canada Research Chairs at 56 Canadian degree-granting post-secondary institutions are being awarded $203.9 million to undertake new research.

This federal investment allows Canadian institutions to strengthen their position as global leaders in research and development, bringing greater economic opportunities for Canadians.

"Susan has done an excellent job of putting the Prentice Institute on a trajectory that will make it a world-recognized centre. She has attracted a significant number of researchers to the Institute as research associates, which in turn has built up our graduate student component. With this new funding, Dr. McDaniel and her colleagues will be able to significantly expand on the Prentice Institute's mandate to look into population issues world-wide."

There are three areas McDaniel – and her expanding world-wide group of researchers – is examining through what she describes as 'life-course research': comparisons between Canadian and other population groups, initially in the United States; the government-supported policy steps countries such as Japan and Korea have taken to manage the challenges of an aging population; and the concept of age itself, and how factors such as economic conditions, lack of healthcare or being a refugee from a war-torn country can have on your life expectancy.

"The life course research concept has several principles, among them that you need to follow a person through their life to get a solid picture of how they are affected by a variety of influences," says McDaniel.

"We are following individuals across time because at each point in your life course, you are existing in a context in a society. For example, if a person graduates from high school or university at a time when the economy is not healthy, they might have trouble finding a job. A whole group of people may be disadvantaged over a long period because of that one moment in time."

By comparison, McDaniel says that a person who benefits from a strong economy may land a better job, have better educational opportunities and also have a longer life expectancy.

McDaniel adds that some people may be disadvantaged at the beginning of their lives, and may be continually disadvantaged as they age, compounding the disadvantages they face as they grow older.

"We are expanding on research where we looked at Americans aged 45-64 over a 14-year period, and a similar group of Canadians over a 16-year period, and found that income inequalities make a huge difference for their prospects in their later years, " says McDaniel.

The key difference between Canadians and Americans is that Canadians have lesser inequality, primarily because of social policies such as public health insurance, but also better risk insurance such as employment insurance.

As well, McDaniel is examining how government policy has changed the way people live in countries where aging and significant population change is normal, such as in Japan and Korea, two countries with very different challenges.

"Japan is the 'oldest' country in the world, while Korea has a relatively young population now but it will age very quickly," says McDaniel said. "What we are finding is that innovations are unexpected. Both Korea and Japan have instituted publicly-funded long term care insurance. When speaking to the Koreans about why they implemented it at this time, the response was that they could afford it now while the population is young, as opposed to being unable to afford it later."

The other issue McDaniel hopes to tackle as part of her research is to change the fundamental notion of 'age' from a number to a concept that takes a whole host of lifestyle experiences into consideration, among them health, education, economic circumstances, and other factors.

"You need to look at age differently based on what happens to a person during their life. A person in a risky or blue-collar occupation might age differently than someone in a less dangerous or physically demanding job," she says. "We need to have a flexible definition of what is 'old', because this research, while not yet fully completed, is important in policy development."

Keeping a finger on the pulse of these world-wide indicators is keeping McDaniel and her teams constantly busy. The new and ongoing research projects will ultimately wind up as journal articles or become parts of four books currently in process.

To date, the effort involves researchers from Canada, the United States, Japan, Korea, Italy and Africa, in addition to the regular complement of faculty members currently at the U of L or who are being recruited to join the Prentice Institute as research associates, guest lecturers, or visiting professors.

Galt Alumni gift $150,000 in scholarship

trevor.kenney — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:06:53 +0000

For nearly 70 years (1910 to 1979), the Galt School of Nursing trained more than 1,100 nurses who played -- and still play -- a key role in providing quality health care to the residents of southern Alberta.

Today, Galt School of Nursing alumni and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge officials announced the transfer of nearly $150,000 in scholarship money to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in support of students enrolled in the U of L's nursing program.

"The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is pleased to continue in the tradition established by the Galt School of Nursing and is proud to educate the next generation of nursing professionals," said U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon.

"It is also quite gratifying to know that Galt nursing graduates from up to 60 years ago are sharing in this good news, and can see for themselves how the U of L is working to educate future nurses."

Mahon notes that nursing has undergone an incredible transformation since the Galt School of Nursing was established, especially in terms of educational requirements and advances in medicine and technology.

"There continues to be a need for qualified health care professionals and this gift from the Galt School of Nursing Alumni Association helps ensure that current nursing students have access to much-needed scholarship money."

The fund will be endowed to provide scholarships to entering or continuing Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Nursing After Degree third- and fourth-year students.

Donna Karl, RN, a Galt School of Nursing graduate from 1963 and spokesperson for the alumni group, said the gift to the U of L helps Galt alumni continue their support of nursing in the community.

"It is remarkable that this fund has carried over for more than 100 years, from the pioneering Galt family to the present day. The Alumni Association has looked after it for the past 15 years, and is delighted to have the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ accept it to continue supporting nurses."

Karl, who works part time at Lethbridge College in the Health Services Office, has two daughters who are also nurses.

"I absolutely love this profession, and am really pleased to be working nearly 50 years after being in school. Much has changed since 1963 -- we certainly didn't have the facilities or services today's students have – but we can continue to ensure today's students are supported throughout their education."

The fund was first established in 1910 by the Galt family, who also built and supported the original Galt Hospital (now the site of the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives). The fund is being gifted to the U of L to manage in perpetuity on behalf of the Galt School of Nursing Alumni Association, which has been responsible for the fund since inheriting it from the former Lethbridge Municipal Hospital more than 15 years ago.

The transfer agreement required a change in provincial legislation, which was handled at a government level by former nurse and healthcare provider Bridget Pastoor, MLA Lethbridge East.

The U of L first established a School of Nursing in 1980. Now part of the Faculty of Health Sciences, there are 698 students currently enrolled in the nursing program, which is offered in conjunction with Lethbridge College. To date, more than 1,500 nurses have graduated from the program.

Celebrating 100 years of the AUCC

trevor.kenney — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:37:08 +0000

By PAUL DAVIDSON
President, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

In the coming weeks, Canada's universities will be sharing their visions and priorities with readers through this column, in conjunction with the 100^th anniversary of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

One hundred years ago, leaders from 15 of Canada's universities met face-to-face for the first time to discuss the day's pressing issues.

There were no Blackberries. No women either. Telephones were still new. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ leaders traveled by train and ship to McGill, where the meeting was held. Canada was just turning 44 years-old. Later that year, Sir Robert Borden's Conservatives would win the "free trade" federal election, sweeping Sir Wilfred Laurier's government out of office after 15 years.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ leaders were brought together by Sir William Peterson, principal of McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, and Sir Robert Falconer, president of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto to discuss admission requirements, student mobility and graduate education. This is how universities first came together to work for the benefit of Canadians. So pressing were these issues, they decided to meet again, regularly, but in a reflection of the different pace at the time, the next meeting would be four years later."

While times have changed, university leaders still meet regularly to address these kinds of issues. Today's Canada may be very different from 100 years ago but universities continue to help address challenges, improve our quality of life, and position our country as a leader in the years ahead.

As AUCC marks its centennial in 2011, it is an opportunity to commemorate the pivotal role universities have played and continue to play in making Canada what it is and what it can be. At this year's meeting in October, today's university leaders will focus on the future needs of Canadians.

AUCC will also host a unique panel discussion entitled, Smart healthcare: The role of Canada's universities in addressing our healthcare challenges. This panel will draw on expertise from across the country to discuss how Canada's universities can respond directly to the upcoming health care needs of an aging population.

Another centennial initiative is an online dialogue on the future of university education in Canada which began last month. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Commons blog (www.aucc.ca) offers diverse perspectives on what university education should look like in the years ahead and how it can meet the needs of a nation.

Canada's universities are also focused on enhancing the undergraduate experience in Canada. AUCC led a national workshop on undergraduate education in Halifax last March, attended by many presidents and other university leaders, as well as students. This workshop reflected a growing consensus that university leaders must do more to strengthen the undergraduate experience. One of the results was the development of a new online tool to help strengthen undergraduate education, which will be officially launched later this month.

AUCC's fun, social media-based centennial project involves a small, carved, wooden polar bear named Ursula. She has been on a whirlwind tour of campuses across Canada since May. Throughout the year, Ursula is capturing a slice of life of Canadian universities on Facebook, Twitter and her own blog, www.ursulaontour.ca.

Rounding off AUCC's centennial year, Canadian universities will open their doors to visitors Nov. 4-13. Open Doors, Open Knowledge, is a series of open house events on campuses across the country to showcase the new and improved research and learning facilities made possible through investments of the federal and provincial governments and other parties.

From 1911 to 2011, the story of Canada is reflected in the story of universities. As we mark 100 years of achievement, Canada's universities invite all Canadians to be a part of the celebration. Learn more at www.aucc.ca.

Wellness evident at Life Balance Fair

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:59:13 +0000

Our 4th Annual Life Balance Fair, promoting Health Workplace Month, proved to be very successful.

With over 45 exhibitors, a number of demonstrations and an opportunity to try out the U of L's Get Fit at Work – Stretch and Strengthen program, more than 200 visitors attended. Thanks to all of the exhibitors for donating their time and draw prizes. A special thanks goes out to the AUPE for their donation towards the healthy.

Following are prize winners from the Life Balance Fair:

Off Balance Team Challenge
Both the Cash Office and Housing had 100 per cent participation of their team

Wii Party Game
(Wellness Committee)
Bev West, Health Sciences

IPOD Shuffle
(Wellness Committee)
Jeanette Leusink, Printing

$100 gift certificate to Only Women's Fitness Spa (Alberta Workplace Solutions)
Karen Clearwater, Financial Planning

Bosu Total Training System
(Flaman Fitness)
Mary Dyck, Kinesiology

Sony Digital Camera (Chinook Respiratory Services)
Donna Court, Financial Services

Bosu Ball, Whey Protein, Gift Certificate (Go Mango)
Shelley Tuff , ULSU

Shoppers Drug Mart Tote bag (Shoppers Drug Mart)
Christine Groves, Caretaking

Pen, Notebook and Water Bottle (Canadian Mental Health Services)
Heidi DeHeer, Cash Office

Totebag and t-shirt coupon (Helen Schuler Nature Centre)
Abby Groenenboom, ULSU; Jesse Couture, Fitness Centre

Whole Food Meal Replacement (Go Mango)
Mary Anne Hellinga, Financial Services; Rebecca Seely, ROSS; Gayle Durand, ROSS Registry

Fitquest DVD
(Only Women's Fitness)
Linda Wever, Biology; Brenda Nixon, Kinesiology; Jodie Black, ROSS Recruitment

Swedgie (Stamina Clinic)
Joanne Golden, Biology

Coffee Mug (AB Emergency Management Services)
Jennifer Thannhauser, Education; Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak, Advancement

Automatic Millionaire book (Financial Health Club)
Linda Robison, HR

Blanket in Tote (Blue Cross)
Rob Wood, Sociology

Horns Combo Pass
(U of L Pronghorns)
Linda Kucheran, ROSS Recruitment

Holmes Eco Water Set (Holmes Water Service)
Rhonda Paisley, ROSS

First Aid Kit (AB Blue Cross)
Debbie Murphy, Arts and Science Advising

Spa Basket
(Eclipse Salon and Spa)
Mariette Beaudry, Arts and Science Advising

Fresh Pear Lotions
(Nirvana Energy)
Shelly Hutchinson, Ancillary Services

Tote Bag (Mercer Consulting)
Marguerite Anderson, Education; Mary Nugent, Health Sciences

Water Bottles
(Mercer Consulting)
Jacqueline Preyde, A&S Advising; Debbie Tarnava, Caretaking; Vern Leckie, Grounds

Handblown Glass necklace (YWCA)
Anne Baxter, Risk and Safety Services

Upcoming Wellness Events
November 8
Heart Healthy Eating Session II – Cholesterol. Noon to 1 p.m., Andy's Place

November 17
Lunch and Learn: BodyTalk by Terrasol. A form of healthcare that is safe, non-invasive and can be used to overcome many health challenges. A focus of bodytalk is to restore communication and re-synchronize functioning of the body/mind, thus activating the body's
innate ability to heal itself on all levels. Noon to 1 p.m., AH116.

Get Fit At Work – Stretch and Strengthen
If you are interested in getting more information about this program, contact wellness@uleth.ca to set up a session for your team.
Please send your comments, suggestions or feedback to suzanne.mcintosh@uleth.ca or wellness@uleth.ca

Suzanne McIntosh is the co-ordinator of wellness programs at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

Health promotion round-table discussion

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:40:34 +0000

Researchers from all disciplines with an interest in health promotion research are invited to join a round-table discussion with Katherine Wilson from the U.K. National Patient Safety Agency, Friday, Sept. 10.

Wilson is coming to Canada to learn about the Canadian experience of using social marketing in the context of healthcare, and to see what the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) can learn from this. She is also interested in how the effectiveness and impact of interventions is measured. Following the trip, she will be producing a report to capture her experience and the learning that could be applied across the NHS.

The discussion takes place on Friday, Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m. in M3003 (Markin Hall).

As well, Wilson will take part in a public presentation and video conference later that day, from 1 to 2 p.m., in M3028.

Utilizing online learning to manage health

trevor.kenney — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:51:52 +0000

When it comes to chronic diseases like diabetes, the key to warding off complications lies in the daily management of the illness – that's why education is so important.

But a face-to-face meeting with a nurse educator isn't the only way to learn self-management techniques. A research study by Faculty of Management professor Dr. Helen Kelley and her research collaborators, Dr. Mike Chiasson (Lancaster ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ) and Dr. Angela Downey (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria), is revealing that e-health technologies – when used strategically – can boost health outcomes in the ever-growing population of people with Type II diabetes.

"As incidents increase, there's definitely a cost to our health-care system. Given concerns with the cost of healthcare, how do we provide the education that's needed so people develop good self-care management practices?" she asks.

Kelley and her colleagues led a 12-month, longitudinal study involving three groups of newly diagnosed diabetes patients from the former Chinook Health Region, who were given different combinations of learning tools. The first group of patients had face-to-face meetings with clinicians, as well as Internet access for independent searches for information. The second group was given electronic versions of educational material developed for the Chinook Health Region, e-messaging for communicating with clinicians and an electronic blood glucose journal, but no face-to-face coaching. Like the second group, the third had access to educational materials, e-messaging for communicating with clinicians and the journal, but also a list of educational websites, bulletin boards for posing questions to clinicians and chat rooms for speaking with other newly diagnosed diabetics and clinicians.

The study, which wrapped up in December, monitored a special biomedical indicator in the patients' blood (hemoglobin A1c) in order to determine whether the use of the various electronic features for education was having positive health outcomes. Early analysis shows that the third group made the biggest health gains.

"Early results from our study suggest that if you're mindful of the type of technology you develop, you can get very positive results – as good as face-to-face outcomes and perhaps even better," Kelley says.

However, the key is using technology strategically.

"You can't just slap materials on a website and say, 'Here you go – go ahead and manage your disease.' It's much more involved than that."

UNews - healthcare

Kovalchuk earns CIHR Chair

Related Topics

McDaniel earns first Tier I CRC for social sciences

Related Topics

Linking past to present

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New Canada Research Chair at Prentice Institute

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Galt Alumni gift $150,000 in scholarship

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Celebrating 100 years of the AUCC

Related Topics

Wellness evident at Life Balance Fair

Related Topics

Health promotion round-table discussion

Related Topics

Utilizing online learning to manage health

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