The Great River Ontario Health Team (GR OHT), Archipel OHT, and the Bruyère Research Institute have launched a new research initiative aimed at improving care for adults with heart failure and associated mental health conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression. As part of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI) program, the project is conducting interviews and focus groups with individuals living with heart failure and their caregivers to better understand their experiences and needs.
“We’re studying conditions that connect the brain and the heart,” explained Dr. Krystal Kehoe MacLeod, the project’s lead researcher. “Our healthcare system is very good at treating individual issues, like heart failure or depression, but it’s less effective when addressing interconnected conditions.”
Participants in this community-based research will be compensated for their time, and the findings are expected to inform healthcare reforms to create more integrated services. Dr. Kehoe MacLeod added, “We want to make it easier for people with multiple conditions to get the care they need without having to travel all over the city to see multiple specialists.”
The project seeks to hear from individuals 40 and older living with heart failure in Ottawa East, Cornwall, Prescott-Russell, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, Akwesasne, and nearby regions. Participants can choose between one-on-one interviews or group discussions, available in English or French.
To learn more or to participate, individuals can contact Sarisha Philip at sphilip@bruyere.org or 416-831-3476. As Dr. Kehoe MacLeod urged, “We really need your stories and experiences to help us make the changes needed to improve care for people living with heart failure.”
