Providing UBC Students with Curriculum to Support Their Skills in Delivery of Virtual Lifestyle Counseling for Prevention of Chronic Disease

TitleProviding UBC Students with Curriculum to Support Their Skills in Delivery of Virtual Lifestyle Counseling for Prevention of Chronic Disease
Faculty/College/UnitMedicine
StatusActive
Duration3 Years
Initiation04/01/2022
Project Summary

Physical distancing and lockdowns have exacerbated rates of lifestyle-mediated preventable chronic diseases (CD) as well as reduced practical, health promotion learning opportunities for students. COVID-19 also highlighted the absence of lifestyle counselling in undergraduate medical school and health professions curricula and the need to co-create an Indigenous-focused curriculum. In response, we adapted our HealtheSteps™ (HeS) program from in-person to virtual training and delivery. HeS pairs adults across BC looking to improve their lifestyle, with a trained student coach. We launched a pilot in fall 2020, training medical and kinesiology students as coaches and had family physicians (FPs) refer their at-risk patients. Currently, over 100 students have been trained to deliver HeS to approximately 300 adult patients. We are continuing to expand across allied health professions and aim to develop/integrate Indigenous-focused curriculum as informed by our network of academic and Indigenous community partners, learners, and program participants.

Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2022/2023
Year 1: Project TypeLarge TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorRobert J. Petrella
Year 1: Funded Amount118,580
Year 1: Team Members

Robert J. Petrella, Head / Professor, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine
Robert Boushel, Director, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Darren Warburton, Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Sue Murphy, Head / Associate Professor of Teaching, Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine
Tamara Cohen, Director / Assistant Professor, Dietetics, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Sheila Marshall, Professor / Chair, BSW Program, Social Work, Faculty of Arts
Noah Silverberg, Assistant Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Arts
Cecilia Jevitt, Associate Professor / Director, Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine
Dawn Gill, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Western University
Melissa Majoni, Research Manager, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine
Wendy Blunt, PhD Student, Health Promotion, Western University
Adam Gavarkovs, PhD Student, Health Professionals Education Research, University of Toronto
Arielle Roberts, Family Medicine Resident, Faculty of Medicine
Sanya Ranchal, Family Medicine Resident, Faculty of Medicine
Jasmine Gill, Master's Student, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Faraz Damji, 2nd year Undergraduate Medical Student
Zara Hirji, 3rd year Undergraduate Kinesiology Student
Paul Aspinall, Research Assistant, Family Practice
Emily Guest, Research Assistant, Family Practice

Year 1: TLEF ShowcaseYear 1: TLEF Showcase
Year 2: Project YearYear 2
Year 2: Funding Year2023/2024
Year 2: Project TypeLarge TLEF
Year 2: Principal InvestigatorRobert J. Petrella
Year 2: Funded Amount98,042
Year 2: Team Members

Robert J. Petrella, Head / Professor, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine / Professor Emeritus, Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University

Co-Applicants:

Robert Boushel, Director, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Darren Warburton, Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Sue Murphy, Head / Professor, Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine
Tamara Cohen, Director / Assistant Professor, Dietetics, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Sheila Marshall, Professor / Chair, BSW Program, Social Work, Faculty of Arts
Noah Silverberg, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Arts
Cecilia Jevitt, Associate Professor / Program Director, Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine
Dawn Gill, Scientist / Adjunct Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University
Melissa Majoni, Research Manager, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine
Wendy Blunt, PhD Student, Health Promotion / Graduate Research Assistant, Western University
Adam Gavarkovs, PhD Student, Health Professionals Education Research / HeS eLearning Developer, University of Toronto
Claire Styffe, Project Coordinator, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine

Student Co-Applicants:

Arielle Roberts, Family Medicine Resident (Comox Valley), Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Faraz Damji, 3rd year Undergraduate Medical Student
Zara Hirji, 4th year Undergraduate Kinesiology Student
Kimberly Hu, 4th year Undergraduate Food, Nutrition, and Health Student
Nicholas Latimer, 4th year Undergraduate Psychology Student

Project Team Members:

Paul Aspinall, Research Assistant, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine

Year 3: Project YearYear 3
Year 3: Funding Year2024/2025
Year 3: Project TypeLarge TLEF
Year 3: Principal InvestigatorRobert J. Petrella
Year 3: Funded Amount32,584
Year 3: Team Members

Robert J. Petrella, Head / Professor, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine / Professor Emeritus, Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University

Co-Applicants:

Robert Boushel, Director, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Darren Warburton, Professor, Kinesiology, Faculty of Education
Tamara Cohen, Director / Assistant Professor, Dietetics, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Sheila Marshall, Professor / Chair, BSW Program, Social Work, Faculty of Arts
Noah Silverberg, Professor, Psychology, Faculty of Arts
Dawn Gill, Scientist / Adjunct Assistant Professor, Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University
Claire Styffe, Project Coordinator, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine
Wendy Blunt, PhD Candidate, Health Promotion / Graduate Research Assistant, Western University
Adam Gavarkovs, Health Professionals Education Research / HeS eLearning Developer, University of Toronto

Student Co-Applicants:

Faraz Damji, 4th year Undergraduate Medical Student
Kimberly Hu, 4th year Undergraduate Food, Nutrition, and Health Student
Nicholas Latimer, 4th year Undergraduate Psychology Student

Project Team Members:

Zain Hirji, Research Assistant, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine
Maria Serban, Land and Food Systems Student / Research Assistant, Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine