New developments in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) are setting the stage for a digital brain to complement medical minds. Like the transition from rotary phones to smartphones, advances in AI technology are set to revolutionize how researchers and clinicians share and analyze information. This could have huge implications for the estimated 22,900 Canadian men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 20191.
Experts commonly advise that the best exercise is exercise you enjoy doing—that way you’ll keep doing it. The same holds true for rehabilitation exercise, especially when it comes to younger patients. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute scientists recently tested gaming devices equipped with immersive virtual reality (VR) technology to see if they motivated teenage patients with cerebral palsy to improve their motor learning. Initial results show VR was well received by patients and was successful in improving outcomes, making it worth pursuing further.
Physicians like Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher, Dr. Eric Yoshida, are concerned that rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its more severe progression, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), are on the rise while medications are still in the development stages.
The entire health care system benefits when supportive and collaborative research thrives. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is proud to support research through Team Grant mentorships, which facilitate Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) staff and clinicians teaming up with experienced researchers to exchange knowledge and build partnerships. These grants aim to improve the provision of health care by supporting collaborative applied research projects between research mentors and VCH health care providers.
Seeing someone check a smart watch for health-related information is a common sight. So how are companies using all this data; and, what impact is that having on the health of Canadians? Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researchers Dr. Bill Miller and Dr. Emma Smith share their insights.
Q: What qualifies as wearable technology?
Miller: Technology that you wear or is implanted on your person, collects data and is able to be shared with the internet, laptops, computers or smart phones in some way would qualify as wearable tech.
A digital brain being designed by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) researchers could soon add another layer of precision to the challenging process of diagnosing and treating spinal cord injuries.
Around 60 to 70 patients with potentially life-altering spinal cord injuries visit Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) each day. Of these, 10 to 20 patients will have suspected injuries to their cervical spine (C-spine).
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) supports innovation and improvements in health care through its Knowledge Translation Challenge, a program run in collaboration with Providence Health Care. This competition encourages health care practitioners to improve patient care by translating evidence and research findings into practice. The Knowledge Translation Challenge facilitates innovative research projects that advance patient care by partnering practitioners with researchers who provide knowledge translation mentorship and resources.
With current mortality rates ranging from 16 per cent for uterine cancer to 64 per cent for ovarian cancer, more than 3,600 women die from gynecologic cancers each year in Canada.
Meeting the health care needs of dynamic patient populations requires forward-thinking innovators. From curing disease to improving quality of life, researchers are at the forefront of medical advances that support the health and happiness of patients and their families. Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is proud to contribute to visionary research with our annual Innovation and Translational Research Awards. This year’s five recipients are putting new knowledge into practice, implementing research outcomes and turning discoveries into commercial opportunities.
“People who come to us have symptoms so severe that they are not able to enjoy their life, work or relationships,” says Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute clinician-scientist Dr. Fidel Vila-Rodriguez.
