Innovative Projects Realized

Disrupting the Canadian patient-specialist referral process – can multimodal communication pathways empower the patient?

In general, Canadians are proud of their universal health care system, but an often heard complaint is the slow and convoluted specialist referral process, and the lengthy wait times to see specialists. An Ontarian waits, on average, 11.3 weeks for a non-urgent specialist referral and 7 weeks for an urgent specialist referral. (Keely and Liddy, 2019) Long waits for referrals disenfranchise the patient, and misplaced or overlooked referrals can have grave consequences and are frustrating for patients, and primary and secondary care providers.

This project explores whether alternative pathways patient-engagement might be effective in transforming the referral process. This study will be a content review of public facing multi-modal communication by medical specialists including, but not limited to: social media engagement, media appearances, public-facing websites and the presence of hospital profile pages. The study will categorize how specialists in the Ontario medical community use alternative modes of communication with their patients and identify trends in a) alternative forms of medical communication and b) specialists’ direct engagement with a public audience. If an alternative pathway to connecting patients and providers is possible, how might that empower both parties and result in a better referral and consultation process?

Sqewqel Development Corporation-Internet Technologies Intern – Manan

For the past nearly seven years, the Sqéwqel Development Corporation L.L.P. has been working to empower the Seabird membership through employment, business development, and financial opportunities. SqDC has been undertaking multiple economic activities for profitable businesses, creating new jobs, developing our local economy to the benefit of the Seabird members, and fostering business opportunities while respecting traditions and values belonging to the Stó:l? culture. At SqDC, our mission is to strengthen the Seabird Island Band’s economy and the financial security of the members of this community. The Internet Technologies Intern will work with the SQDC team during this project by providing project support and coordination, working within a project meant to update the Point of Sale and Inventory Systems, alongside with being involved in other specific information technology smaller projects. The objective of this internship is to bring innovation into how one of our companies (Nations Creations) is present on various social media channels and to optimize our information systems across the organization.

Primex Investments ltd. Accounting Analyst Internship – Ridham

Over the years, Primex has attracted a large and growing group of like-minded partners to invest. As a result, Primex has become a preferred client for many lenders, the first call for many realtors, and a trusted customer of service providers and suppliers throughout the industry. This project will assist with the budget processes, analysis, and forecasts to ensure the organization’s assets are operating profitably. Furthermore, Primex continues to grow, and the work conducted during this project will identify ways to scale processes within forecasting and budgeting for organizational growth.

Innovation, Design, and Development of a Novel Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prevention Device

Sleep-related breathing disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, can be life threatening. Although solutions
exist to treat these disorders, like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and oral appliances including
Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs), there are several issues relating to cost, comfort, and convenience
with the products that are on the market today. This applied design research project explores the development
of a novel snoring and obstructive sleep apnea prevention device that will address these issues, specifically for
the senior population who wear full or partial dentures. It aims to bring forward a pioneering innovative solution
that not only addresses a gap in the marketplace, but also advances SleepLabs as a leading, innovative dental
sleep appliance manufacturer.

Adaptation et implémentation du laboratoire vivant l’Université des jeux(nes) musiciens (UJM) à l’UFC-Campus Sobral

Ce projet MITACS vise à exporter et à adapter l’approche pédagogique et scientifique de l’Université des jeux(nes) musiciens (UJM), laboratoire vivant situé à la Faculté de musique de l’Université Laval, au sein du campus Sobral de l’Université Fédérale du Ceara (UFC), état situé dans le nord-est du Brésil. La création de l’UJM/UFC-Sobral (Universidade de jogos(jovens) músicos) permettra d’élargir les connaissances dans le domaine du Learning Music Through Play (LMTP) et d’identifier les possibles similarités et dissemblances liées à ce domaine en fonction du milieu culturel dans lequel une approche pédagogique de type LMTP est implémentée. Ces comparaisons porteront notamment sur la manière dont les jeunes de l’UJM/ULaval et de l’UJM/UFC-Sobral perçoivent l’utilisation de leur créativité d’apprentissage, qu’ils se sentent connectés à la musique qu’ils jouent ou à leurs pairs et leur degré d’engagement envers l’apprentissage de la musique à l’aide d’une telle approche.

Tests for models used in Actuarial and Risk management and Economic forecasting

In Actuarial Science and insurance, models are often used to assess risk using factors such as age, level of education, gender, environment, etc. In practice, there might be unobserved factors. When data are gathered, the accuracy of these models should be investigated. If the model is not well fitted by the data, subsequent influences could be badly wrong. In this proposal, we shall examine tests to check the model validity. In addition, we examine the effect on inference of a failure in the model. The unobserved factors pose special problems which can sometimes be addressed using Bayesian procedures. I have done some of this work in my thesis and will develope it further.

Foster the discovery of Swhidgets through animated transitions

Swhidgets are Graphical User Interface (GUI) components common in touch-base devices, by default entirely hidden under another interface element. To use a Swhidget, the user must first uncover them with a dedicated onscreen swipe gesture, relying on the metaphor of sliding a physical object. Swhidgets notoriously suffer from a discoverability problem, as they do not provide perceptible signifiers to inform users about their presence. In this project, we will explore how animated transitions that happen in touch-based OS (typically when a new view is loaded or updated) could be leveraged as a way to give Swhidgets-unaware users a chance to discover these widgets as they interact with the device. For that, we will characterize existing swhidgets and animated transition, design refinements of these animated transitions so they better suggest the existence of Swhidgets, and evaluate the impact these refinements.

Conception d’un outil d’aide à la décision pour l’allocation optimale des espaces et la consolidation des cliniques ambulatoires de l’IUCPQ-UL

L’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec-Université Laval (IUCPQ-UL) est responsable du programme de soins et des services spécialisés et surspécialisés dans le traitement des maladies cardiovasculaires, respiratoires et en lien avec l’obésité, Afin d’accomplir cette mission, un ensemble de cliniques internes et externes (ou ambulatoires) sont rassemblées sous un même toit. La qualité ainsi que l’efficience des processus de prise en charge des patients sont fortement liées à la capacité des cliniques, à l’espace disponible et à sa localisation. Ainsi, quand de nouveaux espaces sont disponibles, ou quand il y a un changement important dans la demande des cliniques, une réallocation des espaces est nécessaire. Il s’agit dans ce cas, d’un problème de planification complexe, Ce projet de recherche vise précisément la création d’un outil d’aide à la décision qui permettra à l’IUCPQ de définir de façon objective l’allocation optimale des espaces et la consolidation des cliniques, L’affectation doit considérer des aspects tels que la volumétrie des cliniques, les parcours patients et le partage des différentes ressources humaines entre les cliniques. L’outil proposé va définir la localisation optimale de plus de 20 cliniques où plus de 131000 patients sont traités par année.

IDIBC – Policy & Member Service Internship – Marina

Founded in 1950, the Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia is the self-regulatory professional body for interior design practitioners in BC. During this project the Intern will assist with advancing IDIBC registration processes and member agreements for professional interior designers in BC. The Intern will review and revise various membership support and professional credentialing documentation that interior designers must file with IDIBC to maintain their “Registered Interior Designer” designation. Working with IDIBC staff, Board members and committee leaders, the Intern will assist with moving forward projects that directly impact interior design regulation across Canada. Working directly with the Executive Director, the Intern will provide support on various policy development committees and advance communication skills by following up directly with IDIBC members for research and deadlines.

Enrichment Materials for Dollars with Sense curriculum

This research proposal will focus on identifying supplementary topics that will provide enriched learning opportunities for the Junior Achievement Dollars with Sense (DwS) middle school curriculum. The key areas to be investigated will include fundamentals of consumer credit cards, public stock market basics, and banks and banking. These areas are introduced in the Dollars with Sense program and this research project will seek to develop evaluative criteria, create and effective enrichment materials for two of these focus areas. Using a range of research techniques, data will be collected from classroom teachers, business professionals who volunteer as instructors, and middle school students as well as by analyzing standards from several different jurisdictions, and other financial course materials. This data will form the knowledge base for the creation of supplementary course materials in two of the enrichment areas for Coast Capital and Junior Achievement to publish and implement

Optimizing online therapy with cognitive rehabilitation

Executive functions are a collection of higher-level cognitive abilities that support decision making, planning, attentional focus, and error correction. Mental slowing, inefficiency, and feeling blue are – to some degree – expected with any serious illness. Goal Management TrainingTM (GMT) is a made-in-Ontario healthcare innovation, developed by researchers at Baycrest, a Toronto-based academic health science institution affiliated with the University of Toronto. GMT incorporates decades of neuroscientific research as well as applied clinical practice. Recent funding has allowed for the digitization of GMT and increased accessibility to users. However, with the assistance of the intern and funding from Mitacs – we aim to create a smart-phone app that will help Ontario patients suffering from the long-term effects of COVID-19. Baycrest will augment its dissemination activities to therapists as well as clinical service provision to the community. As a digital intervention available in English and French, we will broaden access from healthcare providers to remote communities where access to in-person treatment is lacking.

Knowledge Mobilization Strategies for Rural Economic Development

Non-profit organizations play an increasingly important role in rural regions. Yet, these organizations are chronically lacking in capacity, including being both understaffed and underfinanced, as well as having high turnover rates and loss of institutional memory as a result. This research project aims to explore how non-profit organizations and charities in rural communities deliver their mandate in light of these challenges, with a particular emphasis on human resources. The objective is to identify and understand the critical factors that contribute to successful governance of their organizations and what strategies and practices have been successful in other places. This research will conduct 3-5 case studies on rural based non-profit organizations and/or charities to determine how they finance human resource supports, and what lessons learned may be transferable to other cases.