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Lead investigator

Collaborators & Co-Investigators

• Dr. Louise Rose
• Dr. Andrea Sara Gershon
• Ms. Francine Buchanan
• Mrs. Regina Pizzuti
• Dr. Bhatia Rajan
• Dr. Jackie Chiang
• Dr. Palma Cornejo
• Dr. F Daniel
• Dr. Katie N Dainty
• Dr. Ian M Fraser
• Roger S Goldstein
• Dr. Sherri L Katz
• Dr. David J Leasa
• Dr. Audrey Lim
• Dr. Sandra M McKay
• Dr. Douglas Mckim
• Dr. Myla Moretti
• Dr. Mika L Nonoyama
• Dr. Aman Sidhu
• Dr. Anu Tandon
• Dr. Brenda E Toonders
• Dr. Kevin M Workentin

Research Sites & Affiliations

• Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario

Funding partners: CIHR – Inst of Human Development & Child & Youth ,   CIHR – Inst of Health Services & Policy Research ,   CIHR – Major Initiatives SPOR/CE

Budget: $1,013,813

Disorders: All Neuromuscular Disorders

Research Areas: Enhance Care

Abstract: 

The number of people that use a ventilator (a machine that supports breathing) at home is increasing in Canada and around the world. These individuals have complex health problems, require a lot of care and they use the healthcare system often. Unfortunately, the care for individuals using mechanical ventilators isn’t coordinated which results in frequent visits to the hospital and stress on the patient and family. Virtual care is a way to improve healthcare for individuals using ventilators. Virtual care is a good idea for individuals using ventilators because it can bring “the right people with the right expertise at the right time” into the homes of these complex patients. A newly developed virtual care platform called aTouchAway™ is now developed. It is sophisticated enough to meet the needs of individuals using ventilators and their care needs. This study will test a virtual care intervention using the aTouchAway™ platform for children and adults newly going home with ventilators in Ontario, Canada. We are studying the effect on the following: visits to the Emergency Department, patient and families’ experience and if they like using it, the costs on the healthcare system and healthcare provider time and if they like using the intervention. We have worked closely with individuals using ventilators at home and their families to design this study and make sure the results are important to them. Our study is testing a promising virtual care intervention for individuals newly going home with ventilators. Our results will help to improve the quality of life for individuals using ventilators at home by making their healthcare better.

Impact: 

See Dr Amin’s Video about the Project on MDC’s Let’s Talk NMD Series.