In April 2023, TRANSFORM Heart Failure (TRANSFORM HF) secured a six-year $1.65 million NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grant to train the next generation of digital health innovators to design cardiovascular technologies for equity.
The award will support TRANSFORM HF’s new Translating Cardiovascular Remote Diagnostic and Monitoring Technologies for Equitable Healthcare (CaRDM Eq) training program. CaRDM Eq aims to produce a pipeline of job-ready trainees with the unique skillset to develop health innovations that reduce barriers to accessing care.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of hospitalization in Canada and has become a significant strain on Canadians and our health system. Underserved and geographically isolated communities face the greatest barriers to accessing care and carry the greatest burden of CVD morbidity and mortality.
“Digital health innovations can address barriers to accessing care, but they must be co-developed and co-implemented through a health equity lens to ensure we aren’t exacerbating existing disparities,” says Azadeh Yadollahi, a professor in U of T’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering and co-director of CaRDM Eq.
“CaRDM Eq aims to bridge the digital divide by training innovators to consider a suite of factors as they deliver impactful and equitable solutions.”
Digital innovations – including diagnostic devices, wearables, and embedded sensors for at-home monitoring – can facilitate remote access to high-quality care. However, the development and integration of these technologies are dependent upon skilled practitioners from the health and biotechnology sectors, where shortages of skilled labour are high.
Over the next six years, CaRDM Eq will provide more than 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with technical, professional, and hands-on skills, including experiential learning and mentorship opportunities. The program is supported by a network of over 30 (and growing) industry, academic, community, and clinical collaborators, including the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority, SickKids, the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, and the International Centre for Translational Digital Health, among many others.
TRANSFORM HF and its network of 200+ researchers and partners are on a mission to advance equitable access to high-quality care through digital innovation, with the ultimate goal of changing the lived experience of heart failure.