Brenda Gamble
PhD

Research and Expertise

• Background and Interests

  Dr. Brenda Gamble is currently a member of the Research Ethics Board of the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science, Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative and Scientist on the Nursing Health Services Research Unit (NHSRU), McMaster University, Pan Canadian Health Human Resources Research Network, the Ontario Health Human Resource Research Network and the Canadian Military and Veteran Health Research Network. She has a status appointment (research-based) at the University of Toronto and is an Adjunct Professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario. 

• Current Research Interests

  Health human resources

  Dr. Gamble's research focuses on allied health-care providers and health-care managers. Much health human resources research has primarily focused on doctors and nurses, with relatively little attention given to examining the supply of other health-care providers. Yet health care relies upon teams and other health professions to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate individuals with illness. All of these professions appear to deal with similar issues: increased demand coupled with perceived shortages and a shift in the place of work (from hospitals to community clinics and home).

  Approaches to accountability in the health-care sector

  Accountability is part of health-care reform, both nationally and internationally. Little research has been conducted on what approaches are used to demonstrate accountability in the health-care sector. In addition, there is little evidence to support what works well and what does not work well. Dr. Gamble's interest in this research area focuses on publicly funded long-term care services/homes, the medical laboratory sector and health professions. It is hypothesized that approaches differ depending on the production characteristics of the services being delivered, the policy goals and the ownership/governance structure of the provider.

  Interprofessional and intraprofessional collaborative practice and education

  Health-care delivery is highly reliant on teams delivering safe and quality care. Interprofessional and intraprofessional collaborative practices (IPCP) are important government priorities for the delivery of co-ordinated and efficient patient-centred care, and as a means to enhance the working conditions of health workers. Currently, a number of barriers exist which prevent the successful implementation of IPCP, including differing attitudes about working on interprofessional/intraprofessional teams (IPTs) and established stereotypes of each profession. This is partially due to the professional socialization process during silo-based professional education. An important goal of interprofessional and intraprofessional education (IPE) programs is to provide an environment that promotes the respect and recognition of the knowledge and skills of each health care professional. Many observers have advocated for the formal incorporation of educational strategies and methods that will prepare frontline providers with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage successfully in IPCP. Only then will each professional have an equal opportunity to participate in the delivery of co-ordinated care.

  Medical laboratory sector 

  Dr. Gamble leads research examining quality and safety in the medical laboratory sector (MLS). High-performing health-care systems are designed to provide high-quality, safe and efficient care. Increasingly, governments and providers are called upon to develop and implement strategies and innovations to achieve these goals. One recurrent theme has been quality, including the need to address over-use/under-use/misuse issues, and the need to improve technical delivery of services. The goal of this area of research is to clarify what is known about best practices to achieve quality and safety in the Canadian MLS, a significantly under-researched area, by noting variations due to a number of structural/organizational and contextual variables. The knowledge generated from this study will inform knowledge users in MLS and policy makers in the planning, funding, organization and delivery of medical laboratory services in Canada. In addition, using the MLS as a case study example will assist in clarifying how to identify and implement best practices across other sectors of the Canadian health-care system. As health care becomes increasingly interconnected, the lessons learned in this rapidly evolving sector will be important examples for health policy and knowledge users/decision makers to draw upon and consider in future discussions about the health-care system in Canada.

• Publications

  For a complete list of Dr. Brenda Gamble’s publications, please visit PubMed  

  • Deber, R. & Gamble, B. (forthcoming) The Canada Health Act for the 21^st century? Health Law Canada.
  • Gamble, B., Wax, R. & Manis, D. (forthcoming). Establishing community, academic, and industry partnerships to support experiential learning within a community-based research collaborative in conference proceedings 2016 Higher Education in Transformation.
  • Ackerman, MA., Bartfay, E., Bartfay, W., & Gamble, B. (2016) Mental Health service utilization among demented individuals with or without mood disorders in Canada. GHC 2016 proceedings, ISSN: 2251-3833: 5-10. Doi 10.5176/2251-3833_GHC16.8.
  • Gamble, B., Graham, L., Goulding, H., & Moreau, E. (2015, Winter). Simulation Models for the Development and Acquisition of Interprofessional Competencies. Ontario Society of Medical Technologists’ Advocate, 21(4), 19-20.
  • Gamble, B., Bourne, L., & Deber, R. (2014, September). Accountability through Regulation in Ontario’s Medical Laboratory Sector. Healthcare Policy 67-78. doi:10.12927/hcpol.2014.23917.
  • Gamble, B., Bourne, L.*, and Deber, R. (2014). Ontario’s Quality Management Program-Laboratory Services. Healthcare Policy (Longwoods).
  • Gamble, B., Wyers, L.*, and Deber, R. (2014). Accountability in the City of Toronto’s 10 Long-Term Care Homes. Healthcare Policy (Longwoods).
  • Zelisko, D., Gamble, B., Baumann, A., Norman, P., Laporte, A., and Deber, R. (Forthcoming). Provincial Regulatory Bodies. Healthcare Policy (Longwoods).
  • Suthaharan, S.* and Gamble, B. (2013, January). Benefits of ethnicity-sensitive mental health programs for mental health patients. Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities 2013 Conference Proceedings, Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Manogaran, M.* and Gamble, B. (2013, January). Making interprofessional teams work: Lessons learned from a neonatal intensive care unit. Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities 2013 Conference Proceedings, Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Helfawi, M.* and Gamble, B. (2013, January). Patient involvement in IPC, a catalyst to the delivery of patient centred-care at community based mental health settings. Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities 2013 Conference Proceedings, Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Gamble, B. (2013). What we learned about IPC from the laboratory profession? Ontario Society of Medical Technologists’ Journal, 19(4), 15-16.
  • Berta, W., Laporte, A., Deber, R., Baumann, A. and Gamble, B. (2013). The evolving role of personal support workers and health care aides in the long-term care and home and community care sectors. Human Resources for Health, 11(25). doi: 10.1186/1478-4491-11-25.
  • Suthaharan, S.* and Gamble, B. (2012). Effectiveness of mental health outpatient services and social interventions. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, Supplement, 15.
  • Landry, M.D., Hastie, R., Onate, K., Gamble, B., Deber, R. and Verrier, M. (2012). Attractiveness of employment sectors for physical therapists in Ontario, Canada (1999-2007): Implications for the long term sector. BMC Health Services Research, 12(133). doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-12-133.
  • Gamble, B. and Kapral, O.* (2011). Health leaders views on leadership competencies and education. Ottawa, Ontario: Communique, Canadian College of Health Leaders.
  • Gamble, B., Daniels, F., Deber, R., Laporte, A. and Isaac, W. (2011). Where are Ontario’s Respiratory Therapists working? Healthcare Policy, 7(2), 40-46.

  Book chapters

  • Manogaran, M., Gamble, B., & Bourgeault, I. (Forthcoming). Medical Laboratory Technologists. In I. Bourgeault (Ed), Canadian Health Human Resources. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institute for Health Information.
  • Manogaran, M., Gamble, B., & Bourgeault, I. (Forthcoming). Respiratory Therapists. In I. Bourgeault (Ed), Canadian Health Human Resources. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institute for Health Information.
  • Manogaran, M., Gamble, B., & Bourgeault, I. (Forthcoming). Medical Radiation Technologists. In I. Bourgeault (Ed), Canadian Health Human Resources. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institute for Health Information.
  • Gamble, B., Kraetschmer, N., Lam, K.C.k., Mah, C., Rafferty, C. and Deber, R. (2014, January). Trouble on Tap. In R. Deber and C. Mah (Eds.), Case Studies in Canadian Health Policy and Management (2nd ed.). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
  • Gamble, B., Kapral, O.* and Yielder, P. (2013, November). Healthcare Management in the Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS): A Comparative Study on Military and Civilian Health Leadership Skills. In A.B. Aiken and S.A.H. Belanger (Eds.), Beyond the Line:Canadian Institute for Military Health Research (3rd ed.). Kingston, ON: McGill-Queen's University Press.
  • Blake, J., Gamble, B., Sadat, S., Van Wyk, K., Rashkovan, N.W. and Deber, R. (2014, January). What to do with the queue? In R. Deber and C. Mah (Eds.), Case Studies in Canadian Health Policy and Management (2nd ed.). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
  • Gamble, B. (forthcoming). Interprofessional education for interprofessional practice. In S. Coffey (Ed.), Interprofessional practice. Don Mills, Ontario: Pearson.
  • Suthaharan, S.* and Gamble, B. (2012). The impact of utilization of mental health resources by mental health outpatients. In S. Poddar (Ed.), Proceedings of International Conference on Allied Health Sciences (pp. 54-62). Malaysia: Lincoln University College.
  • Manogaran, M.* and Gamble, B. (2012). Interprofessional collaboration: And it's role in facilitating discharge planning on a neonatal intensive care unit. In S. Poddar (Ed.), Proceedings of International Conference on Allied Health Sciences (pp. 39-44). Malaysia: Lincoln University College.
  • Gamble, B. and Kapral, O.* (2012). Healthcare Leadership: Is managing in the hospital the same as managing in the community or does the context matter? In A.B. Aiken and S.A.H. Belanger (Eds.), A New Coalition for a Challenging Battlefield: Military and Veteran Health Research. Kingston, ON: Canadian Defense Academy Press.
  • Gamble, B. and Kapral, O.* (2011). Military to Civilian Healthcare: What are the Challenges for Healthcare Mangers? In A.B. Aiken and S.A.H. Belanger (Eds.), Shaping the Future: Military and Veteran Health Research (pp. 347-357). Kingston, ON: Canadian Defense Academy Press.

  * indicates graduate student

• Research Collaborators
  • Canadian Military and Veteran Health Research
  • CIHR Meeting, Planning and Dissemination Team
  • CIHR team in Community Care in Health Human Resources
  • City of Toronto Long-Term Care Homes and Services
  • HealthForce Ontario
  • Ontario Health Human Resources Research Network
  • Ontario Quality Management Program - Laboratory Services
  • Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Research Network
  • University of Toronto
• Grants
  • Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR). Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble (Principal Investigator (PI): Whitney Berta). The Invisible Workforce: Exploring the Roles and Significance of Health Support Workers in Caring for Older Canadians.
    • July 2014, $488,552.41
  • Ontario Tech Technology Innovation Fund. PI: Dr. Brenda Gamble. (Co-investigators: Helene-Marie Goulding, Leslie Graham, Evelyn Moreau). Development and Evaluation of Electronic Simulated Models of Interprofessional Practice.
    • April 2013 to March 2015, $6,373
  • Technology Evaluation in the Elderly. Supervisor: Dr. Brenda Gamble. (Fellow: Kelly Kay). Interdisciplinary Fellowship Award.
    • September 2013 to August 2015, $100,000
  • CIHR. Principal Knowledge User: Dr. Randy Wax. (Principal Applicant: Dr. Brenda Gamble). Establishing a Durham Region Resuscitation Research Collaborative.
    • June 2013 to March 2016, $20,328
  • CIHR. PI: Dr. Raisa Deber. (Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble). Understanding and Implementing Best Practices in Accountability: Strengths and Challenges of Different Approaches Across Settings.
    • 2013-2014, $150,000
  • CIHR - Building Partnerships for Partnerships for Health Systems Improvement- Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grant. Principal investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble. Quality and Safety: Canada’s Medical Laboratory Sector.
    • September 15, 2010, $14,905.
  • Ontario Health Human Resources Research Network. Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble (PI: Audrey Laporte). Modeling the Role of Personal Support Workers in the Production of Care in the Ontario Nursing Home Sector.
    • Fall 2011; $10,000
  • CIHR. PIs: Dr. Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, Dr. Morris Barer and Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy. Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble. Pan Canadian Health Human Resources Network (CHHRN).
    • June 21, 2011, $600,000.
  • CIHR. PI: Dr. Raisa Deber. Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble. Approaches to Accountability: Implications of Goals, Governance, Services, and Sub-sectors Grant.
    • November 2009 to October 2012, $349,881
  • CIHR. PI: Dr. Raisa Deber. Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble. Evidence On Tap: Expedited Knowledge Synthesis Public Health in Ontario Grant.
    • October 2009 to March 2010, $110,000
  • CIHR. PI: Dr. Raisa Deber. Co-investigator: Dr. Brenda Gamble. CIHR team in Community Care and Health Human Resources Grant.
    • October 2009 to March 2010 (extended to March 2013), $2,375,031.
• Graduate Student Research
  • Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) thesis supervisor for Kanecy Onate (2014 to 2017) – Chiropractic Practice: The differences in employment patters between young and retiring nurses.
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Brenda Carr (2013 to 2016) – Sodium Reduction Challenges and Facilitators in Breads and Processed Poultry Products: An Industry Perspective
  • MHSc thesis committee member for Carmen Nisbet (2012 to 2014) - Evaluating the Impact of an Educational Innovation on Long-term Care Staff Critical Thinking Disposition.
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Rima Karam (2012 to 2013) – The Primary Care Physicians’ Perspectives on the Ontario Drug Benefit Program (ODB).
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for May Helfawi (2011 to 2015) – Patient involvement in IPC - A catalyst to the delivery of patient-centred care at community-based mental health settings (working title).
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Cyra Sethna (2011 to 2013) – Understanding Personal Support Workers and their role in Ontario.
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Lindsay Wyers (2010 to 2018) - Approaches to accountability: Long-term care sector (working title).
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Lavern Bourne (2009 to 2013) – Approaches to Accountability: Ontario's Medical Laboratory Sector.
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Sivajini Suthaharan (2009 to 2013) – Tamil mental health system consumers’ views on the utilization of community mental health resources.
  • MHSc thesis supervisor for Myuri Manogaran (2009 to 2011) – The Role of Interprofessional Collaboration on the Discharge Planning Process in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
• Courses Taught

  Courses taught (past and present) at the undergraduate level:

  • Health and Well-being
  • Independent Readings in Health
  • Research Methods for Health-care Professionals
  • Understanding Health Care and Therapeutics
  • Introduction to Healthcare Management
  • Research Practicum

  Courses taught (past and present) at the graduate level:

  • Research Readings on the Theories of Health Professions and Occupations
  • Directed Readings on the Theories of Health Professions and Occupations
  • Public Policy and Health Promotion
  • Special Topics: Directed Readings for Health Policy
  • Special Topics: Theory, Definitions and Context for Mental Health Promotion
• Education
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences), Institute of Medical Science in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 2006
  • Master of Science (Medical Sciences), Institute of Medical Science in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 2002
  • Bachelor of Arts (Major: Specialist Program in Society Values and Medicine), University of Toronto (Scarborough), 1996
  • Certification by the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists, 1976