Profile
Dr. Sara Ahmed is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, and an FRSQ Junior II research scholar. Originally trained as a Physical Therapist, she holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical and Health Informatics. Supported by federal, provincial, and private industry funds, her research includes studies that 1) address the challenges of using patient reported outcomes (e.g. health-related quality of life, self-efficacy) in chronic disease management programs, and the use of advanced psychometric approaches for improving the precision and efficiency of outcome evaluations, 2) develop and evaluate the impact of chronic disease computer-enabled self-management interventions integrated into electronic personal health records (e.g. web-based asthma and COPD self-management applications), and 3) knowledge exchange and transfer related to best practices for chronic disease management. AGE-WELL Funded ProjectsOutputs
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| Montreal Accord on Patient-Reported Outcomes Use Series- Paper 8: Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) in Electronic Health Records Can Inform Clinical and Policy Decisions.Ahmed, S., Ware, P., Gardner, W., Witter, J., Bingham Iii, C. O., Khairy, D., & Bartlett, S. J. Montreal Accord on Patient-Reported Outcomes Use Series- Paper 8: Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) in Electronic Health Records Can Inform Clinical and Policy Decisions. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.04.0112.2 MovIT-PLUS Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2017-04-11 | | | Advancing the chronic care road map: a contemporary overviewIn an effort to assess and advance the community-based model of chronic care, we reviewed a contemporary spectrum of Canadian chronic disease management and prevention (CDMP) programs with a participatory audience of administrators, academics, professional and non-professional providers and patients. While many questions remain unanswered, several common characteristics of CDMP success were apparent. These included community-based partnerships with aligned goals; inter-professional and non-professional care, including patient self-management; measured and shared information on practices and outcomes; and visible leadership. Principal improvement opportunities identified were the enhanced engagement of all stakeholders; further efficacy evidence for team care; facile information systems, with clear rationales for data selection, access, communication and security; and increased education of, and resource support for, patients and caregivers. Two immediate actions were suggested. One was a broad and continuing communication plan highlighting CDMP issues and opportunities. The other was a standardized survey of team structures, interventions, measurements and communications in ongoing CDMP programs, with a causal analysis of their relation to outcomes. In the longer term, the key needs requiring action were more inter-professional education of health human resources and more practical information systems available to all stakeholders. Things can be better. Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2010-01-01 | Sara Ahmed, A Gogovor, M Kosseim, L Poissant, R Riopelle, M Simmonds, M Krelenbaum, T Montague | | Creating an inclusive mall environment with the precede-proceed model: a living lab case study Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Université de Montréal | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-01-01 | | | Web-Based Systematic Telemonitoring and Teletraining of User-CaregiverDyads After Provision of Assistive Technology : Conceptual Framework2.2 MovIT-PLUS Université de Montréal, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Université de Sherbrooke, University of British Columbia | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-10-24 | | | Monitoring mobility outcomes for older wheelchair users with cognitive or communicative impairments: Reliability of proxy respondents2.2 MovIT-PLUS Université de Montréal, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, University of Montreal | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-10-25 | | | Wheelchair-specific burden and overall burden of family caregivers of community-dwelling wheelchair users with and without cognitive/communicative impairment2.2 MovIT-PLUS Université de Montréal, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, University of British Columbia | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-10-25 | | | Portail télésanté pour les proches aidants d’usagers d’aides techniques : Protocole2.1 INToCARE, 2.2 MovIT-PLUS, 8.1 AT-SELECT, 2.4 ATforCC Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-09-30 | | | Family Caregivers' Remote Support Needs after Provision of Assistive Technology: Preliminary results. 45th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on GerontologyGelinas-Bronsard, D., Ahmed, S., Mortenson, W. B., Guay, C., Moreno, A., Guay, M., Auger, C. (October 20-22, 2016). Family Caregivers' Remote Support Needs after Provision of Assistive Technology: Preliminary results. 45th Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting of the Canadian Association on Gerontology. Montreal, Québec, Canada. (Poster Presentation)2.1 INToCARE, 2.2 MovIT-PLUS, 8.1 AT-SELECT Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2016-10-21 | | | ''Co-construction of an Internet-based Intervention for Older Assistive Technology Users and their Family Caregivers: Stakeholders’ Perceptions"Purpose: Providing care to older adults using assistive technology can be challenging for family caregivers. To inform the development of an Internet-based intervention, this study aimed to identify older assistive technology users and family caregivers’ needs related to assistive technology procurement, and to explore how to offer remote support through an Internet-based intervention.
Methods: Based on an iterative user-centered design approach, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders about their experiences with assistive technology procurement/attribution and their perceptions of a proposed intervention. A modified content analysis approach was used, with a mix of emerging and a priori concepts.
Results: Participants view assistive technology procurement as an ongoing cyclical process, with potential unmet needs at key moments before and after assistive technology procurement. Assistive technology user-family caregiver dyads needs focus on assistive technology information, access, assistive technology-person-context match, training and support. While participants felt there were benefits to the proposed intervention they also identified potential implementation barriers.
Conclusion: Assistive technology Internet-based interventions dedicated to family caregivers should ensure systematic and tailored follow-up while integrating some form of human support. This study guides the prototype design of the proposed intervention towards a graded support approach, empowering assistive technology users and family caregivers to resolve assistive technology-related challenges.2.2 MovIT-PLUS University of British Columbia, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Université de Montréal | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2018-10-14 | | | Contributions and Challenges of Non-Professional Patient Care: A Key Component of Contemporary Canadian HealthcareThe Canadian public is aging. Population levels of excellent, or very good, health are decreasing, and the prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing. Timely access to caring and respectful care from health professionals, with supporting information transfer, are key qualities in patients' sense of centricity and hope for best outcomes. Data from the 2013-2014 Health Care in Canada (HCIC) survey reveal, however, that 38% of such patients do not always, or often, access this support. The lack of timely access may be one underlying driver for non-professional caregivers to contribute to the care, as well as the personal and financial management, of family members or friends with chronic disease. Previous HCIC surveys, in 2005, 2006 and 2007, reported non-professional caregivers' prevalence in the adult public at 21, 23 and 26%, respectively, compared with 19% in the 2013-2014 survey. In all the surveys, a notable feature of non-professional care providers has been their universality of contribution, across age, sex, geography and time. Caregivers pay, however, a price. They have a lower level of self-related health, a higher incidence of chronic illness and net-negative impacts on relationships, career and finances, including use of personal savings (53%) and necessity of quitting their job (12%). Conversely, they infrequently claim available tax (12%) or compassionate care (11%) benefits. Interestingly, non-professional caregivers work in team-care settings with health professionals more frequently (29%) than patients in the general population with chronic illnesses (18%). Nonetheless, their current levels of always, or often, receiving assisting support (46%) and information (53%) from health professionals are lower than the respective results reported by the general public (65% and 68%). In conclusion, non-professional patient care in Canada is a common, longstanding and not-for-profit enterprise. It is more likely driven by altruistic caring or sense of duty that balance, or overwhelm, its associated personal, medical and financial burdens. In the short term, practical opportunities for enhancement include broader recognition of caregivers' contributions, their improved access to professional support and communication and wider use of available governmental financial support. All are likely to enhance both patient-centred care and lessen the practical burdens of caregivers. Things can be better. Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Other | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-01-01 | | | Co-construction of an Internet-based intervention for older assistive technology users and their family caregivers: Needs identification phasePurpose: Providing care to older adults using assistive technology can be challenging for family caregivers. To inform the development of an Internet-based intervention, this study aimed to identify older assistive technology users and family caregivers’ needs related to assistive technology procurement, and to explore how to offer remote support through an Internet-based intervention.
Methods: Based on an iterative user-centered design approach, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders about their experiences with assistive technology procurement/attribution and their perceptions of a proposed intervention. A modified content analysis approach was used, with a mix of emerging and a priori concepts.
Results: Participants view assistive technology procurement as an ongoing cyclical process, with potential unmet needs at key moments before and after assistive technology procurement. Assistive technology user-family caregiver dyads needs focus on assistive technology information, access, assistive technology-person-context match, training and support. While participants felt there were benefits to the proposed intervention they also identified potential implementation barriers.
Conclusion: Assistive technology Internet-based interventions dedicated to family caregivers should ensure systematic and tailored follow-up while integrating some form of human support. This study guides the prototype design of the proposed intervention towards a graded support approach, empowering assistive technology users and family caregivers to resolve assistive technology-related challenges.2.1 INToCARE, 8.1 AT-SELECT University of British Columbia, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2018-03-01 | | | A logic model for the conception and development of a web-based intervention for remote monitoring and teletraining of family caregivers. Moreno, JA., Auger, C., Mortenson, WB., Guay, M., Ahmed, S. (2016). A logic model for the conception and development of a web-based intervention for remote monitoring and teletraining of family caregivers. Aging, International Journal of Psychology, 51 (1), 48.2.2 MovIT-PLUS Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, Université de Sherbrooke, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2016-07-25 | | | Fully-Automated DXA-Based Finite ElementAnalysis Stratifies Hip Fracture Risk Better Than Femoral Neck Bone MineralDensity: A Cross-Sectional Study Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2016-01-01 | S. Yang*, W.D. Leslie, 1357, A.L. Goertzen, Sara Ahmed, L.M. Ward, I. Delubac | | Montreal Accord on Patient-Reported Outcomes Use Series – Paper 4: Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) Can Inform Clinical Decision-Making in Chronic CareBingham CO, Noonan V, Auger C, Feldman D, Ahmed S, Bartlett SJ, Montreal Accord on Patient-Reported Outcomes Use Series – Paper 4: Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) Can Inform Clinical Decision-Making in Chronic Care, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.04.014.2.2 MovIT-PLUS Université de Montréal, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2017-04-20 | | | WP2 Promotional VideosSPECIAL WP2 PROJECT -
Alex Pysklywec is an experienced research assistant who worked with WP2 Core Project Leads as well as some of the short term project researchers to produce promotional videos representing the ongoing work of WP2. A total of 7 videos were made highlighting both the core projects, the nature of family caregiving, and 2 short term projects.
The work was completed by December 2017.
Louise Demers, one of the WP2 leads, oversaw and supported the project.
2.1 INToCARE, 2.2 MovIT-PLUS, 2.3 CARE-RATE, 2.4 ATforCC, 2.5-S1 PCOACH, 2.6-CAT1 CWiC Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia, Université Laval, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Toronto Rehab Institute, University Health Network, University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, Toronto Rehab Institute/University Health Network | KTEE - Knowledge Mobilization | 2017-12-01 | Louise Demers, Alex Pysklywec, Ben Mortenson, Francois Routhier, Claudine Auger, Sara Ahmed, Jan Polgar, Frank Rudzicz, Jennifer Boger, Janet Fast, Jacquie Eales, Tilak Dutta, Andrew Magnaye | | Informing the design of a chronic pain web-based self-management portal Université de Montréal, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre | Scientific Excellence - Advancing Knowledge | 2015-05-01 | |
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