Opportunities - Co-production of an alternative care provider model to support rural and remote primary care obstructive sleep apnea management
Co-production of an alternative care provider model to support rural and remote primary care obstructive sleep apnea management
University of Calgary
Background
Over 6% of Canadians have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disease where individuals do not breathe normally because of airway narrowing during sleep. People with OSA are at increased risk of motor vehicle collisions, medical complications, and lower quality of life compared to the general population. These complications are also costly to the healthcare system.
Diagnosis and treatment of OSA usually involves patient referral by a primary care doctor to a sleep specialist, which can lead to very long wait times for care. Research has also shown that in rural and remote areas there are many barriers preventing primary care doctors from managing OSA effectively, including difficulties accessing testing and treatment providers, gaps in knowledge and confidence, and unclear expectations of what role various healthcare providers play.
Respiratory therapists often support rural primary care doctors to provide care to people with other chronic respiratory diseases or who use advanced respiratory equipment. In this project, we will work with primary care doctors, respiratory therapists, sleep specialists, people with OSA, and health system leaders to understand how respiratory therapists support other types of rural respiratory care and then design a similar model for OSA. We will also explore the best way to implement this model and evaluate its effectiveness.
This study will help improve the quality of care received by people with OSA in rural and remote areas in Alberta.
Roles and Responsibilities
This opportunity is looking for patient research partners with lived experience of OSA, or caregivers to someone living with OSA. Currently living in a rural area in Alberta is preferred however individuals currently living in a city but with extensive rural living experience, will also be considered.
Patient partners will be asked to join as full members of a co-design team to design and develop a model of care to support management of obstructive sleep apnea in rural and remote areas of Alberta. The work will involve attending and contributing to co-design meetings (both virtual and in-person), reviewing design and research materials between meetings, and engaging with design team discussions and decision-making via email.
Time Commitment
The design team will be established in June 2026 and perform its work over the course of approximately 1 year. During this 1-year period we anticipate holding approximately 8 virtual and 1 in-person co-design team meetings. Virtual meetings will last 1-1.5 hrs, while the in-person meeting will be a full-day event (6-7 hrs). This will most likely be held in Calgary. Team members will also be asked to review documents and communicate via email between meetings.
Compensation/Reimbursement
Patient partners will be offered compensation for attendance at 8 virtual meetings (@ 1-1.5 hours each), one in-person (most likely in Calgary) meeting (6-7 hours), and about 30 minutes of prep time between meetings over the one-year co-design period. Travel and accommodation expenses to attend the in-person meeting will be covered by the research team.
For more information or to express interest please contact
Kenneth Blades
Email: sleepresearch@ucalgary.ca
Phone: (403) 220-5838
