The Waterloo School of Pharmacy implemented a mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 immunization in 2021.
With many multidisciplinary teams working together in an environment not built for such a complex clinical system, researchers at the University of Waterloo created an app to support front-line workers. The app streamlined information flow to help solve logistical challenges that arose.
“Utilizing interdisciplinary teams lead to more optimal outcomes,” says Ryan Tennant, a PhD student in Engineering at the University of Waterloo. “Working with the School of Pharmacy cemented the importance of actively embracing the interdisciplinary approach to foster collaborations and break down barriers.”
Ryan Tennant, a PhD student in the Faculty of Engineering, worked with researchers and students from the School of Pharmacy on an interdisciplinary project to support frontline health-care workers.
By witnessing the stresses in this emergency space, Tennant recognized that he had the knowledge and tools that could help alleviate some of the burden the volunteer team was facing.
“Embedding the engineer in the health-care team, rather than inviting an engineer to solve a problem, is the key to successful interdisciplinary work,” says Dr. Kelly Grindrod, a professor at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
Read more on Waterloo News.