Clinical Research
Bringing Discoveries to the "Bedside"
Dr. Anna Maria Chudyk
Health Services & Structural Determinants of Health Research
Research Focus
Dr. Anna M. Chudyk’s research focuses on the application of participatory approaches to the study and optimization of health and/or mobility (including physical activity). The study populations that most interest her include the general older adult population, as well as subgroups defined by receipt of therapy services; the presence of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular or chronic (i.e., diabetes) conditions; and/or low socioeconomic status. She has an extensive background in biostatistics and experience performing secondary analyses of data. However, Dr. Chudyk’s true passion lies in participatory research. She firmly believes that populations that are directly impacted by research have invaluable experiential knowledge that ought to be incorporated into and drive the work. As such, her program of research has become increasingly focused on patient-oriented research, including patient engagement (i.e., patient and public involvement, patient involvement, and stakeholder engagement) in research.
Techniques used
Dr. Anna M. Chudyk’s research incorporates a diverse range of quantitative (e.g., pilot studies, environmental audits, cross-sectional, longitudinal, randomized controlled trials) and qualitative (e.g., focus groups, one-on-one interviews) study designs. She uses a mix of self-report (e.g., questionnaires, mail-out and online surveys), objective (e.g., performance measures such as Short Physical Performance Battery), and direct (e.g., accelerometry, global positioning systems, intercept surveys) measures to assess health and mobility outcomes. The approaches she uses to engage patients and other stakeholders vary according to the characteristics of a given project and the preferences and interests of patients and other stakeholders. These may include, for example, one-off consultations, the formation of advisory panels and integration of patients and other stakeholders into the core research team.
About Dr. Anna M. Chudyk
As of July 1, 2020, Dr. Anna. M Chudyk will be supported by a prestigious three-year Patient-Oriented Research Award– Transition to Leadership Stream fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This Postdoctoral Fellowship will be held within the College of Nursing (University of Manitoba). Prior to this, Dr. Chudyk was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine (University of Manitoba) and Faculty of Medicine (University of British Columbia, 2017). She obtained a Bachelor Honors Specialization degree (BHSc, 2006) and a Masters of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MSc, 2008) from the University of Western Ontario and a Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine (2016) from the University of British Columbia. While an early career researcher, she has already established an excellent funding and publication record. To illustrate, during her graduate studies, Dr. Chudyk was awarded a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship (MSc) and a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Ph.D.). Her h-index is found here.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Anna M. Chudyk
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of College of Nursing, University of Manitoba
Asper Clinical Research Institute
CR3023, 369 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg MB, R2H 2A6
patientengagementinresearch.ca
In Detail
Dr. Anna M. Chudyk is developing a program of research at the University of Manitoba and St. Boniface Research Center (SBRC) that currently includes three over-lapping projects that aim to:
- Narrow the gap between theory and applications of patient engagement in research;
- Incorporate patient-oriented research within an existing clinical research program at SBRC;
- Co-develop a platform for patient-oriented research within SBRC.
An overview of each project is found below. Information about these and other projects that Dr. Chudyk is leading can also be found at patientengagementinresearch.ca.
- Narrowing the gap between theory and applications of patient engagement in research
Patient engagement in research is a research approach that involves meaningful and active collaborations between researchers and patients throughout the phases of a research project. It is recognized as a promising approach to the building of a sustainable, accessible, and equitable healthcare system and to improved health outcomes within Canada. For this project, Dr. Chudyk and Dr. Annette Schultz (also an SBRC researcher) are leading an interdisciplinary collaborative of researchers that represent academic, patient, clinician, and community stakeholder groups. What unites them is a strong belief in the fact that those affected by a health condition or issue should be actively involved in the generation of solutions to it. To this end, the focus of their work revolves around the development of the theory and scholarship that underlies patient engagement in research; measurement of, and reflection on, current practices surrounding patient engagement in research; and application of these learnings to clinical research and ultimately the care that patients receive. Specifically, they have undertaken a mixed-methods research project that aims to answer 2 over-arching research questions:
Q1: How is patient engagement in research being enacted in Canada?
Q2: How do we move the field of patient engagement in research forward?
To answer these questions, they are conducting a cross-sectional study that measures patient engagement activities and impacts across Canada (through the use of an online survey and qualitative interviews) and applying these findings to stimulate dialogue among Canadian experts in patient engagement in research (through the organization of a 2-day meeting that brings together researchers and patient-researchers from across Canada).
This work is funded through the University of Manitoba (University Collaborative Research Program) and George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation (Patient and Public Engagement Award).
- Incorporate patient-oriented research within an existing clinical research program at SBRC
Early Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is a multimodal and multidisciplinary approach to the perioperative care of patients undergoing major surgery, first developed and implemented in colorectal surgery. In 2019, evidence-based ERAS guidelines were established for perioperative care in cardiac surgery (ERAS-CS). They include 22 potential interventions, divided into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of recovery and were developed primarily through the input of cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, and intensivists. For this project, Dr. Chudyk has partnered with a clinical research group within SBRC (Principal investigators = Drs. Rakesh Arora and Todd Duhamel) to develop a sustainable implementation plan for ERAS-CS that is informed by patient values. The specific aims of this work include:
A1: To expand ERAS-CS to include patient and caregiver-informed recommendations; and
A2: To revise the information provided to patients undergoing cardiac surgery (i.e., patient-centred guidelines) to reflect ERAS-CS and patient-informed recommendations.
To meet these aims, the research group (which includes 2 past cardiac surgery patients) has undertaken a scoping review of patient and caregiver priorities and outcomes as they relate to care received in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery. Upon completion of the scoping review, the group will bring together past cardiac surgery patients and caregivers in a meeting that aims to arrive at a consensus around what to include in the expanded guidelines (as guided by the scoping review and attendees’ lived experiences). These findings will then be applied to developing a sustainable implementation plan for ERAS-CS within St. Boniface hospital, in collaboration with an advisory panel comprised of past cardiac surgery patients and their caregivers.
This project is funded by the University of Manitoba (Annual GFT Research Grant Competition) and George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation (Preparing for Research by Engaging Public & Patient Partners (PREPPP) Award).
- Co-develop a platform for patient-oriented research within SBRC
This project aims to increase capacity for patient-oriented research at SBRC through co-development (i.e., design, implementation, and evaluation) of a system/culture that enhances patient-oriented research capacity (i.e., patient-oriented research platform). The co-development of the patient-oriented research platform will follow the Capacity Development Framework process. Details about this project will be updated here as the project develops. Tentatively, the project may involve the formation of a collective of researchers, patients, and caregivers that will: establish a mutual research agenda, terms-of-reference and mechanisms that ensure group cohesion; identify current patient-oriented research capacity (including development needs and priorities, as described by concrete objectives, targets and activities), and create and implement a capacity-development action plan.
Dr. Chudyk’s publications may be found at:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=PcgKHLUAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
Awards
Select Awards
2020 – Current. Patient-Oriented Research Award – Transition to Leadership Stream, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
2018 – First place in Health, Leisure and Performance Institute’s Research Day Poster Competition, University of Manitoba.
2012 – 2015. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, CIHR.
2012 – Doctoral Award – Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships (declined for Vanier Award), CIHR.
2012 – Silver Quill Award, Canadian Physiotherapy Association.
2012 – SciVerse ScienceDirect Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Top 25 Hottest Articles.
2011 – 2015. Four-Year Fellowship, University of British Columbia.
2007 – 2008. Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship, CIHR.
2007 – Ontario Graduate Scholarship (declined for Canada Graduate Scholarship award), Ontario Student Assistance Program.
Funding
Grants Funded
2020-2022: George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation; Preparing for Research by Engaging Public & Patient Partners (PREPPP) Award: $4000.
Title: Expanding the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines to include the patient voice.
Principal Applicant: Arora R.
Co-Applicants: Chudyk AM, Schultz A, Duhamel T.
2020-2021: CIHR; Catalyst Grant – Patient-Oriented Research: $100,000.
Title: Elevating the uses of storytelling approaches within Indigenous health research: A patient-engaged scoping review study involving Indigenous people and settlers.
Principal Applicants: Rieger KL (NPA) and Gazan S. (Principal Knowledge User).
Co-Applicants: Buss M, Cook L, Copenace S, Garson C, Hornan B, Horton M, Howard S, McPherson K, Rattray J, Bennett M, Chudyk AM, Hack TF, Horrill T, Linton J, Martin DE, Phillips-Beck W, & Schultz A.
2020-2021: University of Manitoba; Annual GFT Research Grant Competition: $14,996.
Title: Determining Effectiveness of Using Patient Engagement Panels to Successfully Implement Enhanced Recovery after Cardiac Surgery Guidelines in Manitoba.
Principal Applicant: Arora R.
Co-Applicants: Chudyk AM, Schultz A, Duhamel T.
2019-2022: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada; Grant-in-aid: $295,548.
Title: PROTein to Enhance outComes of (pre)frail paTients undergoing Cardiac Surgery — the PROTECT-CS study.
Principal Applicant: Arora R.
Co-investigators: Duhamel T, Chudyk AM, Schultz A, van Ineveld C, Kehler DS, Afilalo J, Tangri N.
2019 – 2021: University of Manitoba; University Collaborative Research Program: $24,988.
Title: Investigating the enactment of patient engagement in SPOR funded studies: A pan-Canadian mixed methods study.
Principal Applicants: Schultz A and Chudyk AM.
Co-Applicants: Duhamel T, McCleary N, Shimmin C, Stoddard R, Hickes S, and Hogg W.
2019 – 2020: George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation; George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation Patient and Public Engagement Award: $2000.
Title: Enhancing recovery after cardiac surgery by engaging patients in research development.
Principal Applicant: Duhamel T.
Co-Applicants: Chudyk AM, Arora R, Schultz A.
2018 – 2019: George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation; George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Innovation Patient and Public Engagement Award: $2000.
Title: Reflecting on models and frameworks of patient engagement.
Principal Applicant: Chudyk AM.
Co-Applicant: Schultz A.
2017– 2018: CIHR; Travel Awards – Institute Community Support: $900.
Title: Anna Chudyk’s SPA 2017 Application.
Principal Applicant: Chudyk AM.
2011–2012: CIHR; Meetings, Planning, & Dissemination Grants: $7836
Title: A Canadian Hip Fracture Registry: Finding the “right” things to measure.
Principal Applicant: Guy P.
Co-Applicants: Chudyk AM, Ashe M, Lefaivre KA.