Reducing Cognitive Impairment & Improving Joint Health in Older Adults
Study End Date:
2017
Why Did We Do This Research?
Good brain and joint health is essential for people to enjoy the best quality of life. It is particularly important for older people because cognitive impairment and chronic joint diseases are common in this population. Not only do these conditions affect people’s quality of life, they are also expensive and can be fatal if not treated appropriately. Yet while there are effective prevention and treatment options available, their implementation in the general population has been slow and inconsistent. To improve public and healthcare providers’ use of effective strategies to enhance brain and joint health, there is an increasing use of digital media to provide health-related services and treatment. Digital media includes social networking tools, mobile applications, and health tracking devices such as portable blood glucose monitors or pedometers. These tools provide flexibility and user-friendly methods for delivering ‘just-in-time’ functions or information when and where the user needs it.
Working with community and health professional partners, we will do the following:
- Figure out areas to improve the use of effective prevention and treatment options for brain and joint health. We will focus on physical activity for improving cognitive function and joint health, as well as the timely use of arthritis treatment.
- Develop and test digital media test tools to improve the use of effective prevention and treatment by the public and health professionals.
- Disseminate these tools to people who need and can benefit from them.
What Did We Do?
We have assembled a network of leaders from leading research/academic programs, plus 4 consumer/healthcare organizations across Canada to conduct the study.
Collectively, we will share expertise and resources to develop and test tools to improve the use of effective prevention and treatment by the public. Additionally, we will evaluate implementation strategies and train the next generation of researchers to incorporate digital media in delivering health information.
The Research Team
Principal Investigator:
Linda Li, BSc(PT), MSc, PhD, FCAHS, Senior Scientist, Implementation Science, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
Co-investigators:
Teresa Liu-Ambrose – Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, (UBC)
Diane Gromala – Professor, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, (Simon Fraser University)
John Esdaile, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FCAHS, MACR, Scientific Director Emeritus, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
Sharon Straus- Professor, Department of Medicine, (University of Toronto)
France Légaré – Professor, Department of Family Medicine, (Université Laval)
Richard Smith – Professor, School of Communication, (Simon Fraser University)
Chris Shaw – Associate Professor, School of Interactive Arts & Technology, (Simon Fraser University)
Allyson Jones, PT, PhD, Affiliate Scientist, Rehabilitation Sciences, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Alberta)
Alison Hoens, BScPT, MSc, Knowledge Broker, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
Paul Adam – Rheumatology Liaison and Outreach Services Coordinator, Mary Pack Arthritis Centre
Research Staff:
Jenny Leese, MA, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Arthritis Research Canada Trainee
Joanna Ye, Research Assistant, ARC
Jasmina Memetovic, Research Coordinator, ARC
Consumer Collaborators:
Cheryl Koehn – President of Arthritis Consumer Experts
Daniel Schwartz – Medical Director, Fraser Health Renal Program
Jennifer O’Hagan – Manager, Program Development, Coordination and Evaluation, Alzheimer’s Society of BC
Leslie Soever – President, Arthritis Health Professions Association
Jeannette Kopak – Director of Business Development and Operations, Centre for Digital Media
Elise Kayfetz – Community Development Officer, Canadian Advocacy for Retired Persons (CARP)
Who Funded The Research?
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
