Family Medicine
Research Newsletter
Please send your contributions or announcements to include in the Research Newsletter to uafammed@ualberta.ca
Dr. Michelle Morros welcoming applicants during CaRMS 2020
A Critical Thinking: A Q & A with Drs David Ross and Michelle Morros In 2013, Dr. David Ross conducted research into the critical thinking capabilities of family medicine residents in the Department of Family Medicine program. In 2019, he and Dr. Michelle Morros extended this research to investigate critical thinking skills in practicing family physicians, a study that is the first of its kind. We spoke to Drs Ross and Morros about what critical thinking is, and how fostering this
skill in physicians will improve care for patients.
Message from the Director of Research
Is Your Practice “Research Ready?" I have engaged numerous family practices in research at various levels of intensity, from simple surveys to pragmatic trials. In early years, I experienced difficulties with practices that were not ready for research. This can be devastating for the practice and the researcher. I have seen physician’s reprimanded when they participated in research projects that did not have REB approval or when they disclosed health information without the patient’s permission. As a researcher, my worst experience was with a practice that did not keep research documents in a secure setting. The cleaning staff
disposed of a linking file with devastating results. I have learned how to assess and support practices engaging in research. My approach is also informed by the “Research Ready” training program that originated in the UK and the Royal College of General Practitioners. I would like to share this approach with you.
When working with practices on research projects consider these five questions: 1. What supports are available to help with the research activity?
a. Is there someone in the practice who can take on the role of a research lead for the practice?
b. Are there staff who can assist with a research project?
2. Is there space to host research?
a. Is there a secure place to store research documents?
b. Is there space to accommodate a Research Assistant and maintain privacy?
3. Is the practice research “Data Ready”?
a. Does the practice have a database?
b. Can searches be run on the database?
4. Does the practice have research governance set up that also considers ethics and privacy?
a. Does the practice have a process to review research requests?
b. Is there a process to ensure that the research is ethical (e.g. REB and operational approval documents reviewed and obtained as needed, etc.)?
c. Is there a process to ensure that privacy and the Health Information Act are considered (e.g. research agreements reviewed and obtained as needed, etc.)?
5. When participating in research, do the participating physicians understand the responsibilities they continue to have to their patients and staff?
There is also a resource that can help clinics develop a research governance process titled, Clinic Process for Research Requests. This is available on the Department of Family Medicine’s research webpage under Research, Policy and Guidelines. Best Regards and happy researching!
- Donna Manca
Resident Research Day 2020 The 18th Annual Family Medicine Research Day is cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resident Research Awards Just a friendly reminder that the call for nominations for the following awards is currently ongoing with a deadline of May 11, 2020. Please send applications with the appropriate documentation to Kimberley Duerksen (kduerksen@ualberta.ca)
1. Department of Family Medicine Resident Research & Scholarship Award
2. CFPC Family Medicine Resident Awards for Scholarly Achievement
3. CFPC Research Awards for Family Medicine Residents
4. Westview Physician Collaborative FM Resident Research Award
5. Patricia Ann Peat Residency & Student Family Medicine Enhancement Fund
Update - Research Strategic Plan Implementation Engage. Discover. Change. Donna Manca, Director of Research, recently said, “Big research comes from little seeds…meaningful research opportunities build interest while enabling other research ideas to grow.” The implementation of the Research Strategic Plan continues to grow and evolve as Working Groups engage with one another in a variety of
virtual platforms, while managing countless personal and professional responsibilities. Key takeaways from recent discussions include:
The creation of a Work Smarter Questionnaire, which aims to identify areas the Research Program can improve and streamline processes with respect to Technology, HR, Finance, Communications, and Operations.
The PCMH Working Group plans to begin testing a Research Needs Assessment to better understand the current and future needs of clinics. Dialogue with clinics regarding the Research Needs Assessment will commence in the coming weeks.
The Research Knowledge and Skills Working Group is in the early stages of their work, prioritizing strategies to increase accessibility to research activities, with the primary goal to support opportunities of mutual benefit to researchers, clinicians, and residents.
The Foster a Research Culture Working Group have articulated the significance of having a dedicated Research Program within the Department of Family Medicine that encourages research, innovation, and discovery. Meetings and discussions emphasize the importance of fostering a research culture of mutual respect, trust, and curiosity.
The Research Engagement Working Group is also in the early stages of exploring strategies to engage family practice and other primary care professionals in the research process and promote patient and/or community engagement in research. Topics include the need for research to be engaging and inclusive for all.
An enduring quality of research is the promise and hope for change. The implementation of the Research Strategic Plan rests greatly on our ability to leverage our priorities as we ready for change. Planting seeds of engagement, while nurturing our discoveries along the way, are fundamental to our growing success in this process.
- Shannon Gentilini, BEd, MEd, Special Projects Coordinator
Stephanie Chamberlain, a Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. Andrea Gruneir, was awarded a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship - she was ranked 3rd out of 155 applicants! Congratulations Stephanie!
Clinical Research Updates
Learning and Engagement Opportunities
RSO Maintains a List of COVID-19 Research Funding Available Here StartUp Health - COVID-19 Innovation
StartUp Health is looking to invest in innovators working on solutions for mitigating, managing, or treating coronavirus or future pandemics. Canada's Digital Technology Supercluster Call for COVID-19 Solutions
This call focuses on unlocking solutions to protect the health and safety of all Canadians and our economy through the development, deployment, and scaling of digital technologies. National Tri-agency Funding Opportunities A full listing of all CIHR opportunities are available on ResearchNet.
Please note that some deadlines are subject to change. Message from CIHR President Dr. Michael Strong Re: Spring Project Competition. Operating Grant: Active and Assisted Living Program
This funds projects to develop and integrate innovative Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions for ageing well. This is part of the AAL European programme to fund applications on ‘Healthy Ageing with the Support of Digital Solutions’. CIHR will fund collaborative projects with a duration from 1 year to 30 months and requires 3 to 10 partners from at least 3 different participating countries. Funds available per grant are $353K over 3 years.
Application deadline: May 22, 2020 Team Grant: Food Security and Climate Change in the Canadian North
This funding opportunity will support Indigenous-led and community-driven projects relevant to food security and climate change in the Canadian North. $1.5 million per grant over 4 years.
LOI deadline: August 5, 2020 NSERC CREATE (Collaborative Research and Training Experience)
RSO LOI deadline: May 25, 2020 Other Funding Opportunities Community-Based Research Projects in Cannabis and Mental Health
The Mental Health Commission of Canada requests proposals to address knowledge gaps in the relationship between cannabis and mental health and building research capacity among people with lived and living experience of cannabis use and/or mental health problems and illnesses, and by other priority populations.
Application deadline: May 29, 2020
Allan GM, Morros MP, Young J. Subclinical hypothyroidism and TSH screening.
Canadian Family Physician. 2020 Mar;66(3):188. Amin S, Soliman M, McIvor A, Cave A, Cabrera C. Usage patterns of short-acting β2-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids in asthma: a targeted literature review. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. 2020 Mar 31. pii: S2213-2198(20)30254-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.03.013. [Epub ahead of print] Amin S, Soliman M,
McIvor A, Cave A, Cabrera C. Understanding Patient Perspectives on Medication Adherence in Asthma: A Targeted Review of Qualitative Studies. Patient Preference and Adherence. 2020 Mar 10;14:541-551. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S234651. eCollection 2020. Babenko O, Mosewich A, Sloychuk J. Students' perceptions of learning environment and their leisure-time exercise in medical school: Does sport background matter?
Perspectives on Medical Education. 2020 Apr;9(2):92-97. doi: 10.1007/s40037-020-00560-w. Beasley JW, Holden RJ, Ötleş E, Green LA, Steege LM, Wetterneck TB. It's time to bring human factors to primary care policy and practice. Applied Ergonomics. 2020 May;85:103077. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103077. Epub 2020 Feb 19. Emery C, Palacios-Derflingher L, Black AM, Eliason P, Krolikowski M, Spencer N, Kozak S, Schneider KJ, Babul S, Mrazik M, Lebrun CM, Goulet C, Macpherson A, Hagel BE. Does disallowing body checking in non-elite 13- to 14-year-old ice hockey leagues reduce rates of injury and concussion? A cohort study in two Canadian provinces. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020 Apr;54(7):414-420. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-101092. Epub 2019 Sep 6. Fritsch P, Kolber MR, Korownyk C Antidepressants for irritable bowel syndrome. Canadian Family Physician. 2020 Apr;66(4):265 Garies S, Cummings M, Quan H, McBrien
K, Drummond N, Manca D, Williamson T. Methods to improve the quality of smoking records in a primary care EMR database: exploring multiple imputation and pattern-matching algorithms. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2020;14;20(1):56. doi: 10.1186/s12911-020-1068-5. Garies S, Cummings M, Quan H, McBrien K, Drummond N, Manca D, Williamson T. Howard M, Langevin J, Bernard C, Tan A, Klein D, Slaven M, Barwich D, Elston D, Arora N, Heyland DK. Primary care clinicians' confidence, willingness participation and perceptions of roles in advance care planning discussions with patients: a multi-site survey. Family Practice. 2020 Mar 25;37(2):219-226. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmz050. Howard M, Langevin J, Bernard C, Tan A, Klein D, Slaven M, Barwich D, Elston D, Arora N, Heyland DK. Primary care clinicians' confidence, willingness participation and perceptions of roles in advance care planning discussions with patients: a multi-site survey. Family Practice. 2020 Mar
25;37(2):219-226. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmz050. Jattan A, Penner CG, Giesbrect M, Malin G, Au L, Archibald D, François J, Dufour K, Kim G. A comparison of teaching opportunities for rural and urban family medicine residents. Medical Education. 2020 Feb;54(2):162-170. doi: 10.1111/medu.14015. Epub 2019 Dec 10. Kaplan A, Mitchell PD, Cave AJ, Gagnon R, Foran V, Ellis AK. Effective
Asthma Management: Is It Time to Let the AIR out of SABA? Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2020 Mar 27;9(4). pii: E921. doi: 10.3390/jcm9040921. Review. Lindblad AJ, McCormack J, Korownyk CS, Kolber MR, Ton J, Perry D, Thomas B, Moe S, Garrison S, Dugré N, Chan K, Allan GM. PEER simplified decision aid: osteoarthritis treatment options in primary care. Canadian Family Physician. 2020 Mar;66(3):191-193. Luig T, Keenan L, Campbell-Scherer DL. Transforming Health Experience and Action through Shifting the Narrative on Obesity in Primary Care Encounters. Qualitative Health Research. 2020 Apr;30(5):730-744. doi: 10.1177/1049732319880551. Epub 2019 Oct 16. Miyagishima R, Drummond N, Carroll L, Hopper T, Garies S, Williamson T. Validation of a case definition for speech and language disorders: In community-dwelling older adults in Alberta. Canadian Family Physician. 2020 Mar;66(3):e107-e114. Parmar J, Anderson S, Abbasi M, Ahmadinejad S, Brémault-Phillips S, Chan K, Charles L, Dobbs BM, Khera AS, Stickney-Lee J, Tian PGJ. Support for family caregivers: A scoping review of family physician's perspectives on their role in supporting family caregivers. Health and Social Care in the Community. 2020 May;28(3):716-733. doi: 10.1111/hsc.12928. Epub 2019 Dec 19. Pottie K, Kendall CE, Aubry T, Magwood O, Andermann A, Salvalaggio G, Ponka D, Bloch G, Brcic V, Agbata E, Thavorn K, Hannigan T, Bond A, Crouse S, Goel R, Shoemaker E, Wang JZJ, Mott S, Kaur H, Mathew C, Hashmi SS, Saad A, Piggott T, Arya N,
Kozloff N, Beder M, Guenter D, Muckle W, Hwang S, Stergiopoulos V, Tugwell P. Clinical guideline for homeless and vulnerably housed people, and people with lived homelessness experience. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2020 Mar 9;192(10):E240-E254. doi:10.1503/cmaj.190777 Rashid M, Guo Q, Babenko O. The Influence of Students' Perceptions of Learning Environment on Coping with Academic Challenges: A Structural Equation Modeling Study.
Teaching and Learning in Medicine. 2020 Apr-May;32(2):204-217. doi: 10.1080/10401334.2019.1667241. Epub 2019 Sep 20. Spence JC, Kim YB, Lamboglia CG, Lindeman C, Mangan AJ, McCurdy AP, Stearns JA, Wohlers B, Sivak A, Clark MI. Potential Impact of Autonomous Vehicles on Movement Behavior: A Scoping Review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2020 Mar 7. pii: S0749-3797(20)30059-3. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.01.010. [Epub ahead of print] Ton J, Perry D, Thomas B, Allan GM, Lindblad AJ, McCormack J, Kolber MR, Garrison S, Moe S, Craig R,
Dugré N, Chan K, Finley CR, Ting R, Korownyk CS. PEER umbrella systematic review of systematic reviews: Management of osteoarthritis in primary care. Canadian Family Physician. 2020 Mar;66(3):e89-e98. Whittaker JL, Chan M, Pan B, Hassan I, Defreitas T, Hui C, Macedo L, Otto D. Towards improving the identification of anterior cruciate ligament tears in primary point-of-care settings. BMC
Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2020 Apr 17;21(1):252. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03237-x.
Tools for Practice - Canadian Family Physician
#260. Allan GM, McCormack. Are there tools to help assess dyspnea virtually? April 27, 2020. https://gomainpro.ca/wp-content/uploads/tools-for-practice/1588106260_tfp260-covidadvrevised.pdf #259. Allan GM, Dugre N. Unmasking the evidence around masks for healthcare workers. April 20, 2020. https://gomainpro.ca/wp-content/uploads/tools-for-practice/1587394057_tfp259covidmasksfv.pdf #258. Korownyk C, Kolber M. Stealth style transmission? Covert data on COVID-19. April 14, 2020. https://gomainpro.ca/wp-content/uploads/tools-for-practice/1586894570_tfp258transmissioncovid.pdf #257. Kolber M, Korownyk C. A rushed introduction to an uninvited guest. April 3, 2020. https://gomainpro.ca/wp-content/uploads/tools-for-practice/1585862650_tfp257covid2.pdf #256. Perry D, Ton J, Korownyk C. Exercise for osteoarthritis pain: how strong is the evidence. March 16, 2020. https://gomainpro.ca/wp-content/uploads/tools-for-practice/1584370190_tfp255-exerciseforoa.pdf
Conference Call for Abstracts
The North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Conference NAPCRG has extended the abstract submission date to May 30, 2020 and have also issued a new call for Topics in COVID-19 Research. They have announced that if travel restrictions are still ongoing, the conference will be hosted virtually.
For a complete list of popular conferences, please visit the Conferences webpage for the Family Medicine website.
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