{"title":"From Conversations to Data-Driven Solutions: Harnessing the AcceleratorKHP Dataset for Youth Mental Health Research and Innovation.","authors":"Lydia Sequeira, Alisa Simon, Justin Scaini, Betty Zhang, Sheldon Foster, Dhamodharan Krishnamurthy, Kaylea Walsh","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260034","DOIUrl":"10.3233/SHTI260034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kids Help Phone's Innovation & Applied Research Accelerator for Youth Mental leverages large datasets to drive innovation in digital mental health research and care. Through deidentified crisis support transcripts, anonymous peer forum posts, and a national resource database, our work demonstrates the ethical use and real-world impact of youth data in transforming mental health services and support across Canada.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"129-131"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Building Ontario's Health AI: A Learning System Approach.","authors":"Vanessa Le Ngoc Tram Bui","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing rapidly in Ontario's health system, yet adoption remains uneven due to limited governance and system-wide learning structures. This paper examines ten AI governance frameworks against OECD principles and assesses their suitability for integration into the Learning Health System (LHS) Action Framework. Most frameworks align with high-level expectations but lack the breadth needed for end-to-end clinical application. We propose an enhanced LHS model that pairs a readiness assessment with a quality assurance model, enabling equitable and scalable AI adoption across care settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"108-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Technology and Trauma: Digital Mental Health Innovations for Refugees in Canada.","authors":"Jemila Abdulai, Meerab Anwar, Khyati Eda, Nellie Kamau, Beverly M Essue","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Refugee populations in Canada experience disproportionately high rates of trauma-related mental health conditions. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews across six stakeholder groups to explore mental healthcare gaps. Findings reveal three major barriers: fragmented regulatory frameworks; unsustainable funding models; and failure to integrate end-user needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"127-128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Brynn O'Dwyer, Erin Keely, Ellen B Goldbloom, Lillian Lai, Karima El Bilali, Geetha Mukerji
{"title":"Improving Specialty Care Access in Ontario Through Triaging Referrals to eConsult (TReC): A RE-AIM Evaluation.","authors":"Brynn O'Dwyer, Erin Keely, Ellen B Goldbloom, Lillian Lai, Karima El Bilali, Geetha Mukerji","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Challenges in access to specialty care in Canada lead to long wait times and poorer outcomes. The eConsult Centre of Excellence at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) developed Triaging Referrals to eConsult (TReC), embedding specialist advice into routine referral workflows within health information systems (HIS). Following a successful proof-of-concept, TReC expanded to Women's College Hospital (WCH) in 2023 and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in 2025. We applied the RE-AIM framework to evaluate implementation across study the three study sites. Reach was assessed by utilization; effectiveness by response times and surveys; adoption by specialist participation; implementation by delivery and cost; maintenance by ongoing use. Data sources included administrative data and surveys of patients and providers. Specialist participation included 160 at TOH, 22 at WCH, and 26 at CHEO. Since launch, >10,000 eConsults were completed at TOH, >880 at WCH, and >360 at CHEO, spanning 15, 8, and 10 clinical areas, respectively. Median response times ranged from 2-8 days across sites, versus Ontario's 23-week average for in-person care. Median cost per TReC case was $37 CAD (10 minutes spent per case), substantially lower than in-person visits. Surveys showed high acceptability: 84% of referring providers at TOH and 91% at WCH found advice actionable; 70% of TOH patients felt concerns were addressed; and 91% of TOH specialists perceived TReC to improve access. TReC scaled successfully across three hospitals and improved timely access. High acceptability supports expansion and potential to improve equitable access across Ontario. Future evaluation will assess post-TReC healthcare utilization.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"35-41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Architecting Synergy: Knowledge Graphs for Representing Complex, Multi-Domain Patient Information.","authors":"Karim Keshavjee","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Healthcare systems exchange more data than ever, yet gaps in care persist: missed referrals, unsafe polypharmacy, and loss of continuity. This paper asks: what information architecture supports representing care as a dynamic, multi-domain, intent-driven process? Drawing on empirical failure modes (appointment scheduling, referrals, labs, medication processes) identified in primary care in Canada, along with other care failures (e.g. guideline misapplication, discharge lapses), we derive functional and technical requirements. We evaluate four candidate architectures against these requirements. We find that only knowledge graphs satisfy the combination of semantic linkage, schema flexibility, state tracking, longitudinal reasoning, and explainability. We then discuss regulatory, governance, and vendor implications. Knowledge graphs offer a promising path forward toward truly interoperable, safe, and patient-centered care.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"93-97"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hripisime Danielyan, David Gren, Yallenni Ilamvaluthy, Margery Konan, Anne Wojtak
{"title":"A Digital Roadmap for Primary Care in East Toronto.","authors":"Hripisime Danielyan, David Gren, Yallenni Ilamvaluthy, Margery Konan, Anne Wojtak","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ontario's Primary Care Action Team (PCAT) calls for innovative approaches to connect unattached residents with team-based primary care. A multi-year digital roadmap to operationalize this vision is being co-developed with the East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving over 300,000 residents. The initiative connects primary care, community, and hospital partners to reduce fragmentation. Drawing on stakeholder engagement sessions, the roadmap demonstrates how OHTs can connect existing assets into a scalable, sustainable, and human-centered digital access ecosystem.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"137-138"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sahrish Mahmood Syed, Aby Mathews Maluvelil, Matvey Kipershtein, Paul Aiello, Obed Ehoneah
{"title":"Bridging the Gap: Towards a Standardized Framework for Evaluating mHealth and AI-Enabled Health Applications.","authors":"Sahrish Mahmood Syed, Aby Mathews Maluvelil, Matvey Kipershtein, Paul Aiello, Obed Ehoneah","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mobile health (mHealth) applications and AI-enabled health applications are expanding rapidly, yet their evaluation remains fragmented and inconsistent. Numerous frameworks exist, but none are universally adopted, leaving patients, clinicians, and policymakers without clear guidance. This review systematically examined literature from 2014-2024, identifying the most commonly mentioned attributes such as usability, engagement and privacy alongside attributes that are overlooked such as cost and user retention. These findings aim to provide a holistic foundation for a more complete approach to evaluation. An additional thematic analysis of AI governance and evaluation guidance was conducted, and the resulting synthesis produced a consolidated multi-domain taxonomy spanning strategic purpose, risk and safety, equity, transparency and explainability, and technical lifecycle considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"98-102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From Scaling the Preventive Assessment Tool to a Holistic Personalized Preventive Plan.","authors":"Matvey Kipershtein, Abbas Zavar","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Canada's shift toward preventive, precision medicine is stymied by siloed data, misaligned incentives, and workflow burdens. This study draws on multi-sector key informant interviews and applies an adapted House of Quality method to align divergent priorities and inform the design of the Preventive Assessment Tool (PAT). Analysis identified six leading requirements: interoperability and customization, workflow and automation improvements, predictive analytics, AI-enabled information management, compliance with industry standards, and sustainable revenue. Three key implementation barriers were also highlighted: navigating digital health regulations, demonstrating payer value, and reducing the cost of reaching at-risk patients. To address these challenges, we propose a regulatory-aware, \"minimal-standard, maximum-flexibility\" architecture that embeds preventive assessments directly into EMR workflows, enabling seamless data exchange, reducing clinician burden, and supporting personalized interventions. By turning interoperability and regulatory barriers into enablers of innovation, this stakeholder validated architecture provides a scalable path to advancing connected, preventive care across Canada.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"9-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enabling Data Sharing for Hospital-to-Community Transitions in the Toronto Region: A Stakeholder-Informed System Architecture Solution.","authors":"Yallenni Ilamvaluthy, Tanika Nadeswaran","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ontario's healthcare system, with the Toronto region in particular, continues to face major data sharing gaps between hospitals and community agencies. This paper draws on findings from 26 multi-sector stakeholder interviews. It presents a system-level architecture targeting standardized discharge communication and supports provincial interoperability. A House of Quality (HOQ) matrix was used to map stakeholder requirements to functional features [1]. The proposed solution is a centralized discharge eHub platform leveraging existing eReferral infrastructure under the Patients before Paperwork (Pb4P) initiative, layered with interoperability features, electronic medical record (EMR) integration, secure information-sharing, and analytics capabilities to improve continuity of care. The architecture is positioned as an interoperability-enabling mechanism to close cross-sector data gaps.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"57-61"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mark McPherson, Brian Lo, Victoria Pelletier, Giuseppe Cammisa, Damian Jankowicz
{"title":"Empowering Front-Line Decision Making Through Self-Service Analytics in the Electronic Patient Records System at Unity Health Toronto.","authors":"Mark McPherson, Brian Lo, Victoria Pelletier, Giuseppe Cammisa, Damian Jankowicz","doi":"10.3233/SHTI260009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/SHTI260009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As part of the ongoing mission of Unity Health Toronto to democratize access to data, we launched a large-scale analytics education initiative to promote self-service analytics within our newly implemented Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system. This included comprehensive training on tools such as the built-in self-service reporting tool, aimed at equipping front-line operational users with the ability to access, explore, and act on clinical and operational data without relying on centralized analytics teams, as well as the use of pre-developed analytics dashboards. The effort focused on enabling a culture shift from data dependency to data empowerment. Key outcomes include a more than 150-fold increase in dashboard usage post-implementation (from 90 to over 14,500 monthly views), the development of a targeted, robust training program, and improvements in data literacy and decision-making responsiveness. In this report, we highlight Unity Health's approach to embedding analytics in daily operations through user-centered design, governance, and capacity-building - positioning self-service analytics as a cornerstone for a Learning Health System.</p>","PeriodicalId":94357,"journal":{"name":"Studies in health technology and informatics","volume":"334 ","pages":"29-33"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146183837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}