Scientist, Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care
COVID-19 opened the floodgates for virtual care in Canada when the pandemic began in 2020. The reception to virtual care has been generally positive, and today, most patients and healthcare providers agree that the future should include some degree of virtual care.
Women’s College Hospital was ahead of the virtual-care curve as early as 2013, when the hospital established what’s known today as WIHV (pronounced “weave”) – the Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care.
Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, WIHV was established as part of the hospital’s focus on health system solutions and it has grown exponentially as a national leader in healthcare innovation.
Housed within WIHV is the Canadian Network for Digital Health Evaluation (CNDHE), an initiative to strengthen Canadian capacity to evaluate digital health interventions, which is supported with funding from donors and Health Canada.
Evaluations, led by multi-disciplinary teams of researchers, clinicians, engineers and others in collaboration with leading Canadian health organizations, study and test digital health technologies and virtual models of care. During this process, teams can pivot and adjust the technology or the model of care to achieve better outcomes.
“Women’s College Hospital has established a leading role in the development of resilient digital health systems and the CNDHE has become a collaborative network for driving this change,” said Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde, a scientist with the CNDHE within WIHV.
Whether it’s evaluating an app that allows patients to manage their dialysis at home or using big data to improve medication safety for vulnerable communities, WIHV is responding to today’s pressing health issues through research insights and solutions. They are fostering the creation of valuable digital tools that could benefit patients for years to come.
