PHONE-CONNECT

Phones for Healthier Ontarians iN the Emergency department - COmmunity NEeds met by Cellular Telephone (PHONE-CONNECT) was a project developed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this project cellphones are distributed to patients who are experiencing homeless, struggling with mental health or substance use, and/or who are socially isolated. The project started initially in the Emergency Department and has now expanded to other areas of the hospital.

A number of research projects were undertaken in order to understand the impact of this project at both the patient and healthcare provider levels.

Project Team

Andrea Somers

Co-Principal Investigator, PHONE-CONNECT

IMG_2308

Jennifer Hulme

Co-Principal Investigator, PHONE-CONNECT

Tali Fedorovsky

Tali Fedorovsky

Research Student, FAST-HIV

Publications, Presentations & Media

PUBLICATIONS

  1. Hodwitz K, Ginocchio GF, Fedorovsky T, Girdler H, Bossin B, Juando-Prats C, Dell E, Somers A, Hulme J. Healthcare workers’ perspectives on a prescription phone program to meet the health equity needs of patients in the emergency department: a qualitative study. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2024 Aug;26(8):570-81.
  2. Kazevman G, Mercado M, Hulme J, Somers A. Prescribing phones to address health equity needs in the COVID-19 era: the PHONE-CONNECT program. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2021 Apr 6;23(4):e23914.

 

PRESENTATIONS

  1. Fedorovsky, T., Ginocchio, G.F., Janes, K., Hulme, J., Somers, A., and Dell, E. Prescribing cellular phones in the emergency department to address digital health inequities and improve access to healthcare. CAEP Conference 2023. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 2023 May 30. (Poster Presentation)

 

MEDIA

  1. ER physician's project uses donated cellphones to connect vulnerable with ongoing medical care. CBC News. March 10, 2023. Link
  2. Old phones are a lifeline for vulnerable patients during COVID-19. DFCM News. July 10, 2020. Link
  3. Emergency physicians answer the call to slow COVID-19 spread. UHN Foundation News. April 22, 2020. Link
  4. Free phones dialing up health equity for vulnerable people. UHN News. April 17, 2020. Link

Funding

This project was funded by the UHN Emergency Department Research Pilot Grant, the AFP Innovation Fund, and generous private donors.

Emergency Department