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About Digital Bridge
The purpose of the Digital Bridge is to improve communication between providers in hospital and primary care settings, and patients and family caregivers. Digital health technologies can play an important role in improving person-centred communication across clinical settings and clinicians. The aim of this research project is to develop and test a Digital Bridge, by connecting communication technologies already in use in hospital and primary care/community settings. We will then follow-up with patients for 6 months.
What is the Digital Bridge?
The Digital Bridge is a research project that will integrate two tested platforms: the Care Connector and ePRO technology solutions
There are three phases to this project:
Our research questions are as follows:
1. What are the design considerations for the Digital Bridge from the perspectives of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and healthcare organizations?
2. Does the Digital Bridge achieve Quadruple Aim goals of improved (1) patient outcomes, (2) patient experience, (3) interprofessional communication, and (4) cost-effectiveness?
3. What are the barriers and enablers to adopting the Digital Bridge from the perspectives of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and healthcare organizations?
More about Co-Design:
Co-design sessions with patients/caregivers who have experienced the transition process is an important portion of designing Digital Bridge. Digital Bridge is meant to help reduce the challenges that patients and caregivers face while transitioning from hospital to home, so through co-design sessions, it allows us to make Digital Bridge work for the patients/caregivers needs that are currently missing.
Co-design sessions with healthcare providers who are involved in the transition process, such as primary care physicians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, nurses, personal support workers, and more, will help us understand how Digital Bridge can aid in communication and coordination between all of the different healthcare providers, while maintaining their existing workflow.
Check out our newsletters for more information about co-design and updates on Digital Bridge!
We are currently in phase 1, where we engage with the technology users to co-design the Digital Bridge. Co-designing allows us to ensure the technology will meet the needs of hospital providers, primary care providers, patients and their caregivers. Co-design sessions will be held with both patients/caregivers and health care providers. We are collecting pre-intervention (control) data for the evaluation while engaging in co-design research to adapt validated technologies into new contexts
