Grant Award: $86,153
Principal Investigator: Danielle Glista, Ph.D.
Institution: The University of Western Ontario
Co-Investigators: Silva Kuschke, Ph.D Vanderbilt University, Sheila Moodie, Ph.D. The University of Western Ontario, Michelle Servais, Ph.D TVCC, The University of Western Ontario, Paul Tremblay, Ph.D. The University of Western Ontario
Collaborators: Anita Naginal Parbhoo, MBCh.B. Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Chris Allan, Ph.D. The University of Western Ontario (H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic), Christine Meston, Ph.D. The University of Western Ontario (H.A. Leeper Speech and Hearing Clinic)
Project Summary:
This global partnership project will design, use, test, and improve a family-focused virtual care toolkit to support hearing aid services for children who are Deaf and hard of hearing. Created through close collaboration with families, clinicians, and researchers, the Collaborative Assessment and Readiness for Engaging families in virtual care (virtualCARE) toolkit will help deliver remote family-centred hearing healthcare, using virtual platforms to improve access and continuity of hearing healthcare.
This multi-phase project will include three clinical sites located in Canada, South Africa, and the United States. Each site reflects a distinct healthcare system with unique opportunities and challenges for integrating virtual hearing aid care. By tailoring the toolkit to fit the needs and contexts of each setting, this project aims to generate insights into how virtual care can be effectively and sustainably embedded in routine pediatric hearing services. This initiative focuses on health equity, family engagement, and system readiness to strengthen service delivery, reduce barriers to care, and improve outcomes for children who are Deaf and hard of hearing. In alignment with the CHS Global Partnerships for Research and Innovation Grant objectives, this work promotes global knowledge exchange and innovation, building the capacity for virtual hearing healthcare in underserved communities and supporting long-term, inclusive solutions for communication access.