Mohawk College researchers leverage clinical simulation and AI technology to foster compassionate care
Research in cardiac sonography education receives $30,000 from AMS Healthcare to support excellence in patient care
Hamilton, Ontario - A Mohawk College research team, with support and funding from AMS Healthcare, is working to address the challenges faced in delivering compassionate care to cardiac imaging patients, employing Artificial Intelligence technology in training.
A critical aspect of patient care in cardiac imaging lies in the hands of cardiac sonographers, who play a pivotal role in diagnosing and assessing cardiac conditions. However, delivering patient care with compassion becomes challenging in light of the stressful, fast-paced healthcare environment.
Sonography students entering clinical placements need to navigate environmental stressors while dealing with time limitations and a lack of confidence in cardiac imaging. In combination, this creates barriers to delivering compassionate care.
AMS Healthcare has provided $30,000 to support Mohawk College's innovative approach to teaching and learning in its Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography program.
“Our aim is to bridge the gap between medical imaging and compassionate patient care,” said Laura Thomas, Associate Dean Allied Health and Medical Radiation Sciences/Interim Dean School of Health Mohawk College. “This funding from AMS Healthcare enables us to explore innovative ways to empower future sonographers to excel in both aspects simultaneously.”
This research will explore the unique patient-provider relationship and document the integration of AI technology, such as a simulation mannikin that uses machine learning algorithms to recognize cardiac structures and generate real-time ultrasound images, to better prepare sonography students for compassionate care delivery.
“Compassion is a cornerstone of healthcare, and our project strives to embed it in the academic training of sonographers,” Babitha Thampinathan, a Cardiac Sonographer and Professor at Mohawk College who leads this project. “We will evaluate the effects of simulation-based learning, compared to traditional methods, and explore the impact on student competency, confidence levels during clinical placements, and the patient’s experience of compassion and care received.”
AMS Healthcare is a Canadian charity dedicated to improving Canadian healthcare through innovation and compassion. AMS Healthcare actively connects professionals, supports leaders, and contributes to important healthcare efforts, including research, education, and clinical practice, all with the goal of enhancing healthcare for Canadians.
Mohawk College project co-investigators, Jennifer Burton, Laura Thomas, Jacqueline Wheatley, and Cameron Redsell-Montgomerie, will work alongside Thampinathan and student researchers on this important project.
The project team is supported by IDEAWORK’s Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives.