May 18, 2008
$455K in NSERC-CIHR Funding for TAFETA

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Frank Knoefel and Dr. Rafik Goubran are part of a team of researchers led by Diane Doran at the University of Toronto, which has been awarded $455,000 over 3 years for the project entitled: “Integration of bio-physiological information with a point-of-care decision support system for safer patient care.” The funds are granted through the NSERC-CHIR Collaborative Health Research Projects program.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the design and strategies for a technological system that will give homecare clinicians innovative scheduling capabilities, allow them to assess client activity in and out-of-home, and provide timely access to decision support. Specifically, the project focuses on the integration of hand-held technologies, such as a cell phone-based GPS-supported monitoring system integrated with a Web-based software application for tracking client information. The system will be implemented in "live" homecare settings for the purpose of determining the system's feasibility and safety in the field. The study findings will provide valuable information about the effectiveness of integrating bio-physiological information obtained through non-intrusive monitoring with decision support technologies to support safer patient practices for seniors.