MSE professor receives 2024 Michael Smith Health Research BC's Reach Award

Mechatronics professor Carolyn Sparrey is a recipient of the 2024 Michael Smith Health Research BC Reach Award (MSHRBC).

The Reach program supports researchers and their teams in disseminating research evidence with those who can directly benefit from it in order to impact health and care in B.C.

Project Title: Introduction to Health Technologies: Development and implementation of a public workshop series
Co-Lead: Steven Reynolds

Summary: The sustainability of healthcare in BC hinges on innovation and technology to improve health, well-being, and independence while keeping people out of hospital. Existing and emerging technologies can and will have a big impact on healthcare. However, we have found that patients, caregivers, industry leaders, and clinicians all highlight patient education as a key factor in ensuring health technologies are used effectively in patient care. In person and interactive events are most effective for sharing health knowledge and can also provide community building and support systems. Our goal is to build awareness of existing and emerging health technologies for patients, caregivers and care providers by hosting a series of introductory workshops. Each workshop will have an expert introduce an existing or emerging health technology. Workshop participants will help to identify key information to include in one page technology summaries and short videos that will be distributed through our research-user network. The final workshop in the series will have graduate students presenting their research to help train public communication in the next generation of researchers and technology developers.

Read the official press release here>>