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Research Chair in eConsult and Primary Healthcare Delivery,
Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa

uOttawa has a Research Chair program that recognizes and supports the sustained research accomplishments of University of Ottawa Researchers. The program offers 5-year non-renewable terms for which Research Chairs are allocated an annual stipend to support their research. The program aims to support research related to the University of Ottawa's strategic areas of research, integrating principles of equity and inclusion into research, and teaching and learning at the graduate level. 

Dr. Clare Liddy, University of Ottawa Research Chair

Dr. Clare Liddy was awarded a University of Ottawa Research Chair in 2020 and 2025 for research excellence in eConsult and Primary Health Care Delivery. Dr. Liddy's proposed program of research for the second term of the Research Chair term will build on her established success with eConsult by expanding its reach to underserved populations and international contexts through the following research objectives:

Research Objectives

1) International expansion through implementation science

In order to achieve this, we will:

  • formalize the International eConsult Implementation Network (IeCIN),​

  • conduct a digital and policy readiness assessment using a modified digital health survey,

  • launch demonstration projects in regions deemed ready based on results of the readiness assessment,

  • evaluate the implementation process and co-develop tailored tools for broader scale-up.

2) Knowledge mobilization and AI-enabled tools

In order to achieve this, we will:

  • develop a second edition of the Faster Access, Better Care eConsult eBook as a digital knowledge hub reflecting over 15 years of real-world implementation experience, tailored to the needs of diverse knowledge users,

  • develop an AI-powered knowledge base by applying natural language processing (NLP) techniques and machine-learning methods to ultimately build a searchable question bank with an AI-enabled chatbot to facilitate real-time learning. 

3) Evaluation of population-level impact of eConsult

In order to achieve this, we will:

  • evaluate the impact of eConsult on health outcomes and healthcare utilization among patients with complex chronic conditions through a linkage of eConsult data to provincial health administrative databases,

  • evaluate the impact of reduced in-person specialist visits due to eConsult on carbon emissions and patient-incurred costs.

Framework & Principles

Engagement with Research Users and Communication of Results

  • Peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, co-authored reports, country-specific toolkits, eBook 2.0, newsletters, strategic media releases, social media, and collaborations with partner organizations to leverage their communication resources. ​

  • Will include patient partners as coauthors and presenters, in order to ensure that the voices of those most directly affected by healthcare are represented accurately. 

  • Will collaborate with research users from systems already using eConsult to support bi-directional learning, joint evaluation, and shared implementation strategies.

  • Will advance work with countries where eConsult is not yet in place to study early-stage adoption and context-specific enablers and barriers.

Training Strategies

  • This program of research will provide support to trainees of different levels, including post-doctoral fellows, medical students and residents, and graduate and undergraduate students, who will have the opportunity to lead the design, coordination, and analysis of research studies, and build foundational research skills.

  • Dr. Liddy is committed to promoting EDI principals, offering open opportunities for trainees from different backgrounds while accommodating religious, cultural, and personal obligations.

 

For more information about Dr. Liddy's work with students, see here.

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