Welcome to the Health EnSuite Newsletter !

October 2018

Health EnSuite

Currently under development in collaboration with the Patient Education Committee of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Health EnSuite brings together eHealth applications (apps) that can be easily prescribed by family doctors to their patients. The program of research is funded by a Foundation Grant to Patrick McGrath OC, PhD.

The apps in Health EnSuite will cover health problems experienced by a large number of primary care patients. They are being built using the best available scientific evidence and will be rigorously tested for usability and outcomes. New apps will be added over time after undergoing testing. The first set of problems that Health EnSuite will cover include: Cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia, de-prescribing sleep medication, caring for those with dementia and alleviating headaches. Each app will have an online continuing professional development option. We will seek MainPro+ certification for these educational activities.

Health EnSuite apps will provide self-directed interventions to patients. The apps will enhance access to interventions that are frequently not readily available or hampered by time and financial constraints.

When will the Apps be ready?

The first four Health EnSuite apps are being developed now and will undergo extensive testing before being used by patients. Patient studies will be submitted to Research Ethics Board approval. We expect to begin Randomized Clinical Trials in Spring of 2019. A second set of trials will begin in the Fall of 2019. Apps that are found effective will be released for general use by Family Physicians.