Informed and linked care for seniors (InfoLinCS)

InfoLinCS Logo

Through a Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) funded planning grant, InfoLinCS developed research questions and interventions focused on transforming care delivery to vulnerable seniors through the integration and adoption of innovative strategies, processes and technologies. The planning grant allowed for the formation of partnerships between InfoLinCS investigators, stakeholders, policy-makers and industry partners. These partners worked collaboratively to: i) gain a comprehensive understanding of problems faced by clients, families, and formal care providers within community-based primary health care (CBPHC); and ii) generate an informed plan of research.

A series of focus groups and webinars were hosted, culminating in a two-day workshop and a submission for the CBPHC team grant. The focus groups engaged CBPHC stakeholders in Southwestern Ontario and Waterloo-Wellington, generating a comprehensive list of relevant issues related to information sharing and seniors in CBPHC. These results were distilled and shared with similar groups across Canada through multiple interactive Webinars, providing a national perspective on issues within CBPHC. 

Primary objectives of project

  1. Provide a more Informed system of community-based primary health care (CBPHC), with the support of technology, through improved access to information and services in the areas of prevention, chronic disease self-management, specialized care, and community supports; and,

  2. Ensure that care across the system is Linked, particularly with CBPHCthrough structures and processes including interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) teams, integrated care settings, and supportive communities and services.

Investigators

Paul Stolee, PhD: Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Dorothy Forbes, PhD: Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta

George Heckman, MD, FRCPC: Associate Professor and Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

John Hirdes, PhD: Professor and Ontario Home Care Research and Knowledge Exchange Chair, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Shilpi MajumderPhD: Policy Lead, Health Council of Canada

Don JuzwishinPhD: Director, Health Technology Assessment and Innovation, Alberta Health Services

Co-applicants

Lora Giangregorio, PhD: Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Jasneet Parmar, MBBS: Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta

Kelly Grindrod, PhD: Assistant Professor, Joint appointment with the School of Public Health and Health Systems and School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo

Kerry Byrne, PhD: Director of Research and Partnerships at Tyze Personal Networks

George Heckman, MD, FRCPC: Associate Professor (Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine), School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medici​ne, McMaster University

Andrew Costa, PhD (ABD): Research Lead at Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus, Assistant Professor (Part-time), Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine

Heather Keller, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Lili Liu, PhD: Chair and Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta

Amy Latimer, PhD: Professor, School of Kinesiology & Health Studies, Queen’s University

Lori Curtis, PhD: Professor, Economics, Art’s Department, University of Waterloo

Shannon Majowicz, PhD: Assistant Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Joel Dubin, PhD: Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Alexandra Papaioannou, MD, FRCPC, FACP: Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Eli Lilly Canada Chair in Osteoporosis

Chris Perlman, PhD: Assistant Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo

Julie Richardson, PhD: Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University

Esther Suter, PhD : Director for Workforce Research & Evaluation, Alberta Health Services

Veronique Boscart, PhD: Professor, School of Health and Life Sciences and Community Services, Conestoga College, CIHR/Schlegel Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Seniors Care

Jennifer Walker, PhD: Assistant Professor, School of Public Health and Health Systems at University of Waterloo, and Nipissing University

Bert Chesworth, PhD: Associate Professor, School of Physical Therapy & School of Health Sciences, Western University

Whitney Berta, PhD: Associate Professor at University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation

Mary Egan, PhD, Professor, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Ottawa

James Conklin, PhD: Professor, Department of Applied Human Sciences, Concordia University

Linda Lee, MD,CCFP, FCFP: Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Family physician at the Centre for Family Medicine Family Health Team and the Director of the Centre for Family Medicine Memory Clinic

Katharina Kovacs-Burns, PhD: Director of the Health Sciences Council, University of Alberta

Carole Orchard, EdD: Associate Professor, Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University

Joanie Sims-Gould, PhD: Research Associate, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility (CHHM)