Following the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation’s call for grant proposals in the spring, six research projects were chosen to receive BRIGHT Run funding.
Over the next few months, we will highlight the most recently funded projects.
Project #1
Principal investigators: Dr. Jenna Smith-Turchyn, Dr. Som Mukherjee
Co-Investigators: Dr. Sarah Wojkowski, Dr. Jonathan Sussman, Dr. Holly Edward, Dr. Tara Packham, Dr. Daniel Lawrence, and Dr. Lehana Thabane
Many people living with and beyond breast cancer experience challenges such as pain, fatigue, weakness, and difficulty returning to everyday activities. Rehabilitation services, such as physiotherapy, can help address these challenges, but not everyone who could benefit is referred to or able to access these services. Referrals often depend on individual clinicians, which may lead to unequal access to care.
This project will test a new approach where all people diagnosed with breast cancer at the Juravinski Cancer Centre are automatically considered for referral to rehabilitation, unless they choose to opt out. The goal is to understand whether this population-level referral process is practical, acceptable, and easy to integrate into routine cancer care.
Over one year, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer will be identified through an existing Hamilton Health Sciences research platform and offered a rehabilitation assessment. Those who attend will complete a one-time session with a physiotherapist to assess physical function, symptoms, and quality of life. Researchers will also learn more about who is accessing rehabilitation and what their needs are at the time of referral.
In addition, patients and healthcare team members will be invited to share their experiences and views through interviews. The results will help guide future planning for rehabilitation services, improve equitable access, and support more patient-centred breast cancer care at Hamilton Health Sciences.
