NYGH Research Lead

Machine Learning For Youth Presenting With Mental Health Concerns

The emergency department at NYGH identified a need to streamline finding appropriate services for young mental health patients. This process is often time-consuming due to the complexity of matching patients with the right programs based on their backgrounds.

Supported by a generous donation from the Slaight Family Foundation, SREMI Clinician Scientist and NYGH Research Lead, Dr. Rohit Mohindra is working with the NYGH Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Patient Outcomes, Dr. Ervin Sejdic, to develop an AI tool to make this process more efficient. The goal is to simplify the process for the mental health team while offering tailored options for each patient. The AI tool will analyze patient charts, extracting relevant details like past treatments, demographic information, and preferences. It will then suggest services that best match the patient’s needs. PhD candidate Fatemeh Bagheri has begun to design the algorithm under the guidance of Dr. Sejdic and Dr. Mohindra.

This project highlights the growth of research at NYGH and the considerable impact the SREMI partnership has had on Dr. Mohindra’s ability to conduct innovative research. Five years ago, something like this wouldn’t have been possible. Experts like Dr. Sejdic, with his AI expertise, and Dr. Mohindra, as a clinician-scientist, position North York General and SREMI to stay at the forefront of patient care and innovation.

Refugee Patient Experience When Seeking ED Care

Refugees continue to face unique challenges when accessing healthcare in Canada. The strained primary care system, coupled with language barriers, past traumatic experiences, and healthcare system understanding, make it likely that these patients will seek care in our EDs. Dr. Mohindra has undertaken multiple studies to better understand how this patient population experiences ED care and what barriers providers face.

The results of his qualitative study were presented at the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) conference in Saskatoon in June 2024. The findings described how refugee patients often delay seeking care and present with higher levels of acuity as a result. As well, patients noted a need to establish trust with care providers. They also appreciated when providers asked about their needs and expectations for the visit. Finally, patients expressed frustration about navigating the post-ED follow-up system. Dr. Mohindra also presented the results of his healthcare provider surveys. Providers identified challenges around translation services, understanding the financial burden of seeking care, concerns around meeting expectations and not appearing judgemental, and difficulty arranging follow-up as primary barriers to providing care to this population.

Dr. Mohindra and his research team are now working with EDs across the city and community partners to co-design interventions to improve the care experience for this vulnerable population.

Opioid Overdose And Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Uncertainties persist around the benefits and risks of naloxone administration to patients with suspected opioid-induced cardiac arrest, as well as optimal dosages and administration routes.

In collaboration with the Prehospital, Trauma and Resuscitation Sciences group, the Ontario Poison Control Centre, and the Ontario Coroner’s Office, Dr. Mohindra is working to develop a prehospital risk assessment tool to help paramedics and ED providers understand when a cardiac arrest has a high probability of being caused by an opioid overdose. This will be the first step to improve outcomes for OHCA patients and help to reduce the growing number of opioid-related deaths.