The Digital Health Research Strategic Initiative is a joint program being led collaboratively by BCCHR and the Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI). We aim to increase equitable access to high-quality care using digital technology and support the goals of the BC Digital Health Strategy.
Our focus is on:
- Enabling digital health research by streamlining research and implementation processes for C&W investigators and trainees, building capacity and providing direct project support.
- Supporting better data access for research through advocacy and partnership building across PHSA and the BC Ministry of Health.
What is Digital Health?
Digital health is a broad umbrella term for any digital technology used to support health-care delivery and access and the maintenance of good health and wellbeing. (www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/Health-systems/digital-health)
Digital health can improve both care quality and access to care by removing social and distance barriers, serving as a pathway to prevention, and providing an opportunity for impactful, real-time patient care through improved data access and governance. To be maximally effective, digital health needs to involve patients, their families and their care providers in the development of these services.
The Digital Health Innovation Pathway
Innovation is an active process that moves an idea into a product or service to create impact. We support the BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre research community through this process starting with defining the clinical need and developing digital health research ideas, through to the sustainable implementation of evidence-based digital health products or services.
*We use the standardized framework of technology readiness levels to support investigators through this innovation process.
Interested in starting a Digital Health Research project at BC Children’s Hospital?
Please contact the Digital Health Research Project Manager at dhr@bcchr.ca for more information on the services we provide.
You can also check out resources on the WHRI Digital Health Hub.
