Year: 2021

Why Patient Engagement Matters in Improving Brain Health?

 

1. Lived experience offers valuable insight on what matters

“Being a part of OBI’s Patient Advisory Committee has provided me the opportunity to increase my own knowledge base while being able to share my opinions and thoughts – the ability to contribute a broader personal perspective, based on my lived experience and professional experience towards research projects” says Shelly LaForest. Shelly is a parent of three – two of whom have epilepsy, a practicing Registered Nurse at The Hospital for Sick Children and a member of OBI’s Data Access Committee and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for EpLink. Continue reading “Why Patient Engagement Matters in Improving Brain Health?”

Care in the Digital Age

The shift from traditional in-person activities to the digital space brought on by the pandemic has been challenging, but this change gave us a new perspective on how we do our work. Simply by moving online, we’ve been able to reduce barriers to access and reach more people than ever before. Change doesn’t come easily, but despite the challenges we’ve faced along the way, we are poised to steer the future of brain health into the digital space by investing our energy and resources in the right places.

OBI is committed to supporting activities that either generate the evidence to improve care or lead to the development of products and services that improve health outcomes. We’re striving to improve the lives of people with brain disorders and moving to digital or virtual approaches makes it easier to reach the 1 in 3 Ontarians in the comfort of their homes. Over the last year, we’ve supported major efforts to address mental health challenges, better the delivery and experience of virtual care, and create new tools that can be used at home. Continue reading “Care in the Digital Age”

The Potential of Data Sharing: What Data Means for your Brain Health

“As the world has grappled with a global pandemic, we have faced much uncertainty and many challenges in our society and our economy. In dealing with these issues, however, we have also been presented with an opportunity – the chance to rethink outdated conventions and renew the way we do business as we rebuild our society,” Dr. Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor of Canada, spoke on how COVID-19 may serve as a catalyst for change in how we approach research.

It’s no surprise that in the aftermath of the pandemic, the calls for collaboration and open science have grown louder across the science and research community. Brain-CODE, OBI’s neuroinformatics platform is a strong example of how we can share data on a global scale, leading to improved care, while also protecting privacy and upholding consent. Continue reading “The Potential of Data Sharing: What Data Means for your Brain Health”

Four misconceptions around depression

“These are truly extraordinary times. We know that when people are experiencing something new and unfamiliar to them, it can cause many people to also experience stress and anxiety among other mental health challenges,” remarked the Hon. Michael Tibollo, Associate minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “These stressors become a lot for a person to manage on their own – even with the support of their family and friends.”

As Tibollo rightly pointed out, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the concerns around brain health, making it more important than ever for mental health and wellness to be discussed more broadly. This offers people an opportunity to speak and share without fear of stigma and make use of tools and supports readily available to make informed decisions about their overall health in partnership with health care providers.

Here are four misconceptions experts would like to clarify, for you to better understand depression. Continue reading “Four misconceptions around depression”