A new partnership between U of T Engineering’s Centre for Healthcare Engineering and the William Osler Health System will focus on how human factors research can help improve clinical practice, both in the Greater Toronto Area and around the world.
The Academic Practice Partnership (APP) — the first of its kind in Ontario — was announced on April 1 at the International Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care, held at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto.
On the U of T Engineering side, it will be led by Professor Myrtede Alfred (MIE), whose research focuses on applying approaches from human factors engineering to model and improve clinical systems, including addressing health inequity.
“My research team has always collaborated closely with health professionals, but this partnership will take things to the next level,” says Alfred.
“It’s a great opportunity to translate insights from the lab to clinical practice, and it will keep our outstanding researchers grounded in the practical experiences of front-line health workers. We are looking forward to this rich and fruitful collaboration.”
Alfred is one of several U of T Engineering faculty who are members of the Centre for Healthcare Engineering.
The centre serves as a bridge between academia and the healthcare sector, translating the latest research findings to impact practice and offering educational opportunities for students and practitioners.
The new partnership will create dedicated pathways for student researchers specializing in human factors to gain practical experience within an acute care setting.
It will also help integrate research findings into patient safety and healthcare innovation initiatives, and establish new research opportunities through the Osler Research Institute for Health Innovation.
William Osler Health System serves more than 1.3 million people in Brampton, North Etobicoke, Caledon and surrounding communities — one of the most culturally diverse, fastest growing areas in Ontario.
“Academic Practice Partnerships are critical to advancing research, education and clinical excellence across hospitals and post-secondary institutions,” said Tiziana Rivera, Executive Vice President, Quality, Research and Chief Nursing Executive at William Osler Health System.
“By forging this new collaboration between Osler and the University of Toronto’s Centre for Healthcare Engineering, we are integrating Human Factors knowledge, research and tools into an acute care setting in ways that will meaningfully improve patient safety, clinical efficiency, and health care innovation.”
The first official project Alfred will helm with Osler examines causes of no-show visits in diagnostic imaging. No-shows result in significant financial losses, healthcare provider inefficiency, and negative health outcomes for patients including delayed diagnosis and treatment.
Through this partnership, assessing the root causes of no-shows will provide pertinent insight on how to improve resources to deliver more accessible healthcare.
“Developing human factors capabilities among our students and healthcare professionals is a vital step toward developing safer and more efficient healthcare,” says Alfred.
“The growth of human factors in this domain presents a wealth of opportunities to explore solutions for health care’s challenges, offering distinct advantages for our patients and workforce.”
– This story was originally published on the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering News Site on April 21, 2025, by Kendra Hunter.