Research Interest

Current Research Interest:

1. Health Human Resources
Focus on allied healthcare providers and healthcare managers. The focus of much health human resources research has been primarily on doctors and nurses, with relatively little attention given to examining the supply of other healthcare providers. Yet healthcare relies upon teams and other health professions are required to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate individuals with illness. All of these professions appear to be dealing with similar issues: increased demand coupled with perceived shortages and a shift in the place of work (from hospitals to community clinics and home).

2. Approaches to Accountability in the Health Care Sector
Accountability is part of healthcare reform both nationally and internationally. Little research has been conducted on what approaches are used to demonstrate accountability in the healthcare sector. In addition there is little evidence to support what works well and what does not work well. My interest in this area of research is focused on publicly funded long-term care services/homes, the medical laboratory sector and health professions. It is hypothesized that approaches differ depending on the production characteristics of the services being delivered, the policy goals and the ownership/governance structure of the provider

3. Interprofessional and Intraprofessional Collaborative Practice and Education
Healthcare delivery is highly reliant on teams delivering safe and quality care. lnterprofessional and intraprofessional collaborative practices (IPCP) are important government priorities for the delivery of coordinated and efficient patient centred care, and as a means to enhance the working conditions of health workers. Currently, a number of barriers exist which prevent the successful implementation of IPCP, including differing attitudes about working on interprofessional/intraprofessional teams (lPTs) and established stereotypes of each profession. This is partially due to the professional socialization process during silo-based professional education. An important goal of interprofessional and intraprofessional education (IPE) programs is to provide an environment that promotes the respect and recognition of the knowledge and skills of each health care professional. Many observers have advocated for the formal incorporation of educational strategies and methods that will prepare frontline providers with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage successfully in IPCP. Only then will each professional have an equal opportunity to participate in the delivery of coordinated care.

4. Medical Laboratory Sector (MIS)
I am leading research examining quality and safety in the MLS. High performing healthcare systems are designed to provide high quality, safe and efficient care. Increasingly, governments and providers are called upon to develop and implement strategies and innovations to achieve these goals. One recurrent theme has been quality, including the need to address over-use/under-use/misuse issues, and the need to improve technical delivery of services. The goal of this area of research is to clarify what is known about best practices to achieve quality and safety in the Canadian MLS, a significantly under researched area, by noting variations due to a number of structural/organizational and contextual variables. The knowledge generated from this study will inform knowledge users in MLS and policy makers in the planning, funding, organization, and delivery of medical laboratory services in Canada. In addition, using the MLS as a case study example will assist in clarifying how to identify and implement best practices across other sectors of the Canadian healthcare system. As healthcare becomes increasingly interconnected and the transition of care important lessons learned in this rapidly evolving sector will be important examples for health policy and knowledge users/decision makers to draw upon and consider in future discussions about the healthcare system in Canada.