Advancing research and education through state-of-the art technology

At the Faculty of Medicine’s Centre for Chronic Disease and Prevention Management at UBC Okanagan, Dr. Christine Voss swipes her finger across the screen of a FitBit — one of more than a dozen lying on her desk. The data contained in each watch is a tiny window into her ambitious research project.

“I recognized early on that wearable technology could serve as a critical tool to not only help engage kids in research, but collect important data in community-based settings,” says Dr. Voss, a Centre investigator studying physical activity levels in children and youth with chronic diseases, ranging from diabetes to congenital heart disease, living in communities across B.C.’s Interior and beyond.

But it wasn’t until she reached out to the Faculty of Medicine’s Digital Solutions Research Technology team that her vision became a reality.  

“When Dr. Voss came to us with her idea, we were really excited to see how we could make it happen. We found a way to integrate the wearables into existing Faculty platforms,” says Gurm Dhugga, the Faculty’s Associate Director of Research & Core Technology.

With the help of the Digital Solutions Data team, Dr. Voss is now able to track the activity levels of each study participant remotely and in real-time. With richer and more comprehensive data, she is better able to understand how physical activity benefits children with chronic diseases, and ultimately identify strategies that can help reduce barriers to participation in physical activity.

Collaborations like these happen each and every day across the Faculty of Medicine — and in communities around the province.

“From how and where we train health professionals and scientists, to how we support research and administrative activities, innovation in digital technology is fundamental to enabling our world-leading, province-wide Faculty of Medicine in realizing our vision of transforming health for everyone,” says Grainne McElroy, the Faculty of Medicine’s Deputy Chief Information Officer who leads the Digital Solutions team.

Working in partnership with hundreds of faculty and staff members, Digital Solutions is playing a key role in advancing health research across B.C. and beyond, supporting the design and execution of data collection and management tools for everything from national vaccine surveillance studies through to biobanks used in cancer research.

Digital Solutions also manages the Faculty’s cutting-edge videoconferencing technology, which is essential to its distributed training programs across the province, bringing faculty and learners together — and helping to make medical education more accessible and equitable.

“We’re really honoured to partner with faculty members and staff who are leading on some incredible education projects that are not just enriching how students learn, but supporting clinical faculty members mentoring the next generation,” says Gary Rosborough, Associate Director of Digital Solutions for Education.

Rosborough leads the Education Technology team, an interdisciplinary group of instructional designers, storytellers and innovators.

In the past few years alone, they’ve launched the first academic medical podcast network in Canada, created award-winning videos showcasing the impact of the Faculty’s programs and co-created an innovative online curriculum to recognize and support the many contributions of clinical faculty members.

The team is currently leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality headsets and volumetric filmmaking to support the development of innovative teaching tools set to enhance the learning experience for future generations.

Rosborough also leads the Education Delivery Solutions team, supporting the implementation of innovative administrative solutions for education across the Faculty. One of their latest projects is a collaboration with the Continuing Professional Development unit exploring ways to support and enhance the delivery of lifelong learning opportunities for health professionals in B.C. and beyond.

“Digital technology is evolving at a pace beyond our imagination. Constant innovation and collaboration with faculty, learners and staff is allowing us to embrace emerging opportunities, including AI and machine learning, and helping to propel our Faculty forward,” says McElroy.