Paul Demers, Cancer Care Ontario (Toronto)

“The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS): Data to dissemination”

$245,532 over two years

Dr. Paul Demers, Director, Professor, Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Cancer Care Ontario

Project summary

Dr. Demers and his team aim to enhance the communication of data generated by the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) to key influencers in the health and safety community, positioning ODSS as a valuable resource to increase occupational disease awareness, and inform enforcement, prevention and compensation policies. 

Margaret McKinnon, Homewood Research Institute (Guelph)

“A randomized control trial of cognitive remediation in Public Safety Personnel with PTSD”

$320,611 over two years

Dr. Margaret McKinnon, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Dept. of Health Sciences/ Psychiatry, Homewood Research Institute

Project summary

Dr. McKinnon and her team will examine the effectiveness of a therapeutic intervention aimed at reducing cognitive dysfunction and improving functional outcomes (e.g., return to work, stay at work) in Public Safety Personnel (PSP) with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This intervention has proven highly effective in other populations with impairments in memory, attention, and executive functioning. When trialed in a small group of PSP with PTSD, promising improvements in short-term memory, processing speed, and executive functioning, as well as in the ability to regulate emotion were found.

Kathryn Nichol, VHA Home HealthCare (Toronto)

“Occupational hand dermatitis in healthcare - development and evaluation of an online learning and self-screening program”

$137,530 over two years

Dr. Kathryn Nichol, Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, Quality, Best Practice, Research and Education, VHA Home HealthCare

Project summary: Dr. Nichol and her team aim to develop an online training module for early identification, prevention and management of occupational dermatitis and outline best practices for hand health and hygiene. The module will also train users how to self-screen for hand dermatitis. This research team has already developed a rapid workplace screening tool for occupational hand dermatitis with positive results.

Dwayne Van Eerd, Institute for Work & Health (Toronto)

“Return to Work in policing: Synthesizing current practices and implementation guidance”

$209,860 over two years

Dr. Dwayne Van Eerd, Scientist, Institute for Work & Health

Project summary

Although there is a growing scientific literature examining effective workplace-based return to work programs/practices, there is a knowledge gap regarding practical aspects of return to work for police that considers the type of injury and work context factors. Specifically, current workplace practices are not gathered, synthesized or shared. Dr. Van Eerd and his team aim to collect and synthesize practitioner and workplace experiences along with the best available research evidence to develop strategies to improve current return to work practices for physical and/or psychological injuries in Ontario policing.