May 27, 2024
Physiotherapy can be an essential component of a patient’s health care and recovery journey. Physiotherapy helps manage breathing complications, prevents postoperative complications, and helps to restore, maintain, and make the most of a patient's mobility, function, and wellbeing.
As part of LHSC’s Academic Realignment Initiative Awards, funded in partnership with London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF) and Children’s Health Foundation, Dr. Tania Larsen was granted a Clinician Scientist Award in Physiotherapy and Health Disciplines in spring of 2022. The award has provided Dr. Larsen and a team of interdisciplinary researchers with time to complete and launch new research projects focused on physiotherapy management strategies that lead to improved patient outcomes.
“The award has provided dedicated time to complete two research projects already underway within physiotherapy, as well as develop new projects through the next year and beyond,” said Dr. Larsen. “Awards like these are not only important in creating research momentum, but play a key role in leading, overseeing and ultimately ensuring the sustainability of these emerging programs of research.”
The first project completed was a review on the effectiveness of a single pre-operative physiotherapy education session for patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty, a surgical procedure to restore the function of a joint.
“The results of this research helped demonstrate the effectiveness of pre-operative education and provide evidence to validate and support our current practice,” said Dr. Larsen.
The pandemic necessitated the rapid adoption of virtual care to enable the uninterrupted provision of outpatient physiotherapy services to patients following total knee or hip arthroplasty. The second research project was a study evaluating patient and physiotherapist experiences with the implementation of virtual care and required collection and analysis of data. The results of this study can be used to inform or improve the development of new or existing virtual models of care.
The projects this award has enabled have been highly collaborative, spanning multiple departments including Clinical Nutrition, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Acute Medicine and the Multi-Organ Transplant Program. The results of these studies will help inform the development of targeted treatment strategies, like exercise, to improve patient outcomes.
“Health Disciplines at LHSC is committed to creating infrastructure where best practice, education, and research are entrenched within our culture,” said CJ Curran, Corporate Health Disciplines Executive. “Dr. Larsen’s role as a Clinical Scientist, together with her Registered Physiotherapy designation, make her an ideal candidate to conduct research that helps further integrate Health Disciplines into the research tapestry at LHSC.”
The research award has also enabled LHSC to strengthen ties with academic partners. The team is actively working with the School of Physical Therapy at Western University to collaborate on jointly supervising and creating research opportunities on-site for graduate students.
The award is also leading to new ideas for projects across the organization.
“We have amazing team members! Physiotherapy is working with The Baker Centre for Pancreatic Cancer to implement a prospective study examining the longitudinal impact of frailty on physical function, quality of life and outcomes of care for people undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer,” said Dr. Larsen, “We have started data collection for this study and are looking forward to seeing the outcomes.”
The Academic Realignment Initiative Awards reflect LHSC’s strategic commitment to embed research and learning throughout its operations. The awards are open to any member of Team LHSC interested in advancing care, quality and outcomes within our walls. Learn more about the awards on the LHSC website.
