Episode 6 – The Science of Clinical Technology – Sean Spina, PharmD

Sean Spina, RPh, BSc(Pharm), ACPR, PharmD, FCSHP, graduated from the University of British Columbia Faculty Of Pharmaceutical Sciences with his BSc in Pharmacy in 2000 and his Doctor of Pharmacy in 2007. He is currently the Coordinator of Clinical Services at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC, Canada. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor with the University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and an Adjunct Assistant Professor with the University of Victoria Health Information Sciences Faculty. Since the beginning of his career, Dr. Spina has been interested in incorporating technology into clinical practice. He has authored several published articles on this topic and has received numerous local, provincial, and national awards for his work in formally evaluating the impact technology has on clinical practice and patient care. The Health Employers Association of British Columbia recognized Dr. Spina and his team for their work in 2017 by awarding them the Top Provincial Innovation Award in the “Excellence in BC Health Care” category. 

In this episode of the Caring Greatly™ Podcast, Dr. Spina and I talk about why it’s important to evaluate clinical communication technologies rigorously and with an eye toward improving care practice. We examine the ways that technology gets held to both higher and lower standards when organizations approach adoption and design protocols for safe and appropriate use.

Links related to Dr. Spina’s podcast

• Evaluation of a Secure Mobile and Clinical Communication Solution (SMaCCS) in Acute and Community Practice Settings on Vancouver Island 

• Investigation into the Cleaning Methods of Smartphones and Wearables from Infectious Contamination in a Patient Care Environment (I‐SWIPE)  

• Integrating smartphone communication strategy and technology into clinical practice: A mixed methods research study 

• Integration of Smartphones into clinical pharmacy practice: An evaluation of the impact on pharmacists׳ efficiency 

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