Remote Robotic Presence in Rural Saskatchewan
Dr. Stacey Lovo is a researcher and assistant professor with the University of Saskatchewan, School of Rehabilitation Science, and a huge proponent of engaging patients and communities in her research. She first engaged with the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) in 2015 while researching chronic back pain management using remote presence robotics in rural Saskatchewan. The project was a collaborative effort that began with relationship development between researchers, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Health Services experts, and the community of Pelican Narrows. While evaluating the longstanding back pain management project, Elders and Knowledge Keepers identified the need to conduct similar research for pediatric rehabilitation, which Stacey and her team is now researching through a Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Establishment Grant and SCPOR partnership.
Pelican Narrows, a community in northern Saskatchewan, is over 500 km away from the nearest tertiary care centre in Saskatoon. Local Elders and Knowledge Keepers felt it was a priority that children receive preventative and rehabilitation care within their communities to ensure they wouldn’t have to travel great distances – sometimes up to ten hours each way – to obtain necessary care. Based on these recommendations, and in partnership with community members and Jordan’s Principle Coordinators, Stacey and her team launched a pilot pediatric physical therapy project in Pelican Narrows, led by SCPOR trainee Haley Dunn. This pilot will grow to include three pediatric rehabilitation services: physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology, in Pelican Narrows, Deschambault Lake and Southend.
SCPOR has supported Stacey throughout her research career. As a PhD student and co-Investigator on a previous grant, she participated in SCPOR’s SPOR Module training and did so again recently as a supervisor with her own SCPOR trainee. They have also both completed SCPOR’s Building Research Relationships with Indigenous Communities training. She states, “SCPOR has provided so much support from education and patient-oriented focus and has helped with our marketing and storytelling, which is so important when we’re focusing on patients.”
Funding for the project will allow for a community research assistant in each of the three communities. These assistants, who are members of these communities and know the language and culture, will be mentored and trained in the use of robotics and virtual care, along with training in physical therapy assistant specific skills. With the additional assistance of research associate Dr. Katie Crockett, the team is striving to provide great care for kids and their families while avoiding the addition of further strain on an already overburdened healthcare system.
Through her research, Stacey has begun seeing impact beyond Saskatchewan. She now co-supervises PhD student, Rosalie Dostie, from the University of Sherbrook in Quebec, who is also working in Indigenous pediatric tele-rehab. Through another CIHR grant, Rosalie, Stacey (co-Investigator) and Dr. Chantel Camden (Principal Investigator), along with Indigenous community members, are developing training materials from an Indigenous patient lens for therapists who use tele-rehab.
“The project was initiated by the Elder and Knowledge Keeper group with the goal of ensuring access to high quality and equitable pediatric care as well as a coaching model for families seeking rehab in remote northern communities,” says Stacey. “Ensuring community direction and uplifting the vital knowledge and strengths in Indigenous communities will ensure a sustainable and culturally responsive model of care.”