Established in October 2015, APERSU is an intermediary office that connects the EuroQol foundation with non-commercial users of EQ-5D instruments and other patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the province of Alberta, Canada. This unit secures licensing for the use of EQ-5D instruments, and supports research and use of other PROMs in Alberta.
Vision
APERSU’s vision is “to improve decisions by end-users and stakeholders about health and health care in Alberta by promoting, coordinating, and supporting the use of EQ-5D and other patient-reported outcome measures for the measurement and valuation of health”.
Objectives
APERSU’s objectives include:
- Provide expertise, advice and support for the application of the various EQ-5D instruments and other patient-reported outcome measures by provincial end-users.
- Provide oversight and coordination of various non-commercial applications of the EQ-5D instruments in Alberta.
- Serve as a liaison between Alberta-based end-users and the EuroQol Foundation.
- Facilitate collaborative research among EuroQol Group members with Alberta end-users working with EQ-5D data in the context of large-scale health applications.
- Generate information for population health and economic modeling studies to support health policy.
Partnerships and Agreements
APERSU was developed in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS), Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA), the EuroQol Foundation, and Alberta Health, and is hosted at the School of Public Health, University of Alberta.
Organizational Structure
The APERSU Team includes Co-Directors Dr. Jeff Johnson & Dr. Arto Ohinmaa, Research Manager Dr. Fatima Al Sayah, and Research Administrator Sherry Lydynuik. The team is supported by a Board of Directors with representatives from Alberta Health Services, Health Quality Council of Alberta, University of Alberta – School of Public Health and the EuroQol Foundation, and a Scientific Advisory Committee, with provincial, national and international representatives.
APERSU Members
Jeffrey A. Johnson, PhD
APERSU Co-Director
Professor
School of Public Health
University of Alberta
APERSU Co-Director
Dr. Johnson is a pharmacist and health services researcher. He is a Centennial Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, and a Senior Health Scholar with Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. Dr. Johnson leads the “Alliance for Canadian Health Outcomes Research in Diabetes”.
Dr. Johnson has a long history of working with national and provincial agencies, both government and non-government, in areas of diabetes and public health policy and research. He has worked closely with Alberta Health, leading the Alberta Diabetes Surveillance System (ADSS) from 2005 to 2009, and the Alberta’s Caring for Diabetes Project from 2008-2015. From 2012 to 2014 Dr. Johnson served as the inaugural Scientific Director for Diabetes, Obesity and Nutrition, Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services.
Dr. Johnson also leads a productive line of research and application of health-related quality of life measurement, including various applications in controlled trials, population health, and health care system evaluation. Dr. Johnson has been an active member of the EuroQol Group since 1996 and serves on the Board of Directors of the EuroQol Research Foundation.
Arto Ohinmaa, Ph.D
APERSU Co-Director
Professor
School of Public Health
University of Alberta
APERSU Co-Director
Arto Ohinmaa is a Professor and Program Director of the Health Policy and Management program at the School of Public Health, University of Alberta.
He received his Master’s of Science in Economics and his PhD in Economics from the University of Oulu in Finland.
His research interests include health economic analysis, health-related quality of life measurement, assessment of telemedicine, health technology assessment, distribution of health and health care costs in the population, health care performance measurements, and economic models of preventive programs.
He is a Canadian member of the EuroQOL group, Associate Editor of the Quality of Life Research journal.
Fatima Al Sayah, PhD
APERSU Research Manager
APERSU Research Manager
School of Public Health
University of Alberta
Fatima is a health outcomes researcher at the School of Public Health, University of Alberta, and the research manager of APERSU. She has a PhD in Public Health, and over 12 years of epidemiological and clinical research experience, particularly in the area of chronic disease. Her current work focuses on the measurement of health outcomes including clinical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and the use of these measures in clinical and cost-effectiveness research, as well as in generating real-world evidence. She is an active member of the EuroQol Group, and as such, serves as an advisor on valuation studies of the EQ-5D around the world. Fatima is passionate about enhancing the QUALITY, EFFICIENCY, and EQUITABILITY of healthcare services and interventions, and in building capacity in the field of health economics and outcomes research.
APERSU Administrative Manager
Sherry Lydynuik
APERSU Administrative Manager
APERSU Administrative Manager
Sherry is from Saskatchewan originally and has been working in Research Administration for many years now.
Sherry started working part time at the University of Alberta in September 1996 at the Ocular Genetics Laboratory. In April 2006, Sherry joined Jeff Johnson and the ACHORD Laboratory working as Jeff’s assistant and Office Manager of ACHORD.
Sherry is now the Research Administrator for the APERSU Unit and is looking forward to working with all the different groups of people involved in the creation and sustainability of the unit.
APERSU Research Coordinator
Hilary Short, MSc
APERSU Research Coordinator
Research Coordinator
Hilary graduated from the University of Alberta in 2012 with a Bachelor in Physical Education and again in 2014 with a Master of Science in Health Policy Research. Hilary’s thesis research focused on adult obesity management in primary care and surveyed family physicians across Alberta on their attitudes, knowledge, and practices in obesity management.
Upon completing her graduate degree, Hilary worked for the Clinical Trials Program in the Division of Nephrology and Transplant Immunology at the University of Alberta Hospital, coordinating various drug and observational trials in renal transplant, dialysis, and renal insufficiency patient populations.
Hilary joined APERSU in January 2017, primarily responsible for coordinating the EMPATHY trial.
APERSU End-User Support Coordinator
Allison Soprovich, BScN, MPH
APERSU End-User Support Coordinator
End-User Support Coordinator
Allison completed her BScN from the University of Alberta in 2004. She worked as a Registered Nurse in community and primary care for 5 years before completing her MPH degree in Global Health, also from the University of Alberta, in 2011. Her main interest areas are improving access to health care, using research to develop and improve health programming, and health program evaluation. She loves the interdisciplinary aspects of public health and health promotion, working with many sectors towards common health goals.
Allison’s main role for APERSU is end-user support and knowledge translation. She also coordinates and supports a number of other research project initiatives for the ACHORD group. Her other side is a contemporary dancer, with occasional shows around Edmonton. She also enjoys biking to work through the river valley, skiing and camping.
Stafford Dean, PhD [Chair]
Board of Directors
Senior Program Officer – Analytics
Alberta Health Services
Stafford has been using administrative and clinical data to support decision making for over 20 years in Alberta’s Health system.
He has worked at the Alberta Ministry of Health, the Calgary Health Region, Health Quality Council of Alberta and now in his current role as Senior Program Officer, Analytics at Alberta Health Services. The Analytics Departments role is to enable decision making by providing timely relevant data and reporting services.
Stafford’s research interests include health system demand forecasting and clinical analytics to support continuous quality improvement.
Stafford’s education includes a BSc in Actuarial Science, a MA in Economics, and a PhD in Health Research.
Charlene McBrien-Morrison, MBA
Board of Directors
Executive Director
Health Quality Council of Alberta
Ms. McBrien-Morrison is currently the Executive Director of the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Charlene has over 30 years experience in healthcare, first as a medical laboratory technologist and later in a variety of leadership roles in health informatics and performance measurement.
Prior to joining the HQCA in 2004, Charlene held various positions within the Calgary District Hospital Group, Calgary Health Region, Calgary Laboratory Services and Carewest. She also has an MBA in executive management and leadership.
A. Simon Pickard, PhD
Board of Directors
Professor
Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes, and Policy (PSOP)
College of Pharmacy
University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Pickard is a professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy at the University of Illinois.
His research interests focus on the measurement of health outcomes and on the evaluation of outcomes of medications and health care services in terms of safety, effectiveness and value.
Simon is past-president of the Chicago Region Chapter of International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), and faculty advisor for the ISPOR student chapter at UIC. Since 2006, he has served on the Executive Committee of the EuroQol Group, and was elected Chair in 2014.
Simon has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and is on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Medical Decision Making and Quality of Life Research.
Scientific Advisory Committee
Brandi McCormack
Scientific Advisory Committee
Director, Outcome Measurement & Strategic Initiatives
Alberta Health Services
Brandi McCormack has a Master of Science from Curtin University, Western Australia and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the University of Calgary. Prior to returning to Canada in 2007 and her position at AHS, Brandi worked in Health Services in Australia for several years. Brandi held a joint position as Research Program Manager with Osborne Division of General Practice & University of Western Australia Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. Prior to that position Brandi was a Senior Research Officer at Australia’s largest provider of community and residential care. To date, Brandi has authored several peer-reviewed publications in areas such as Psychogeriatrics, Patient Experience and Health Services Research. Brandi participates in various local, regional and national committees. Currently she sits as a member of the CIHI Inter-Jurisdictional Patient Satisfaction Committee and the Pan-Canadian PROMs Advisory Committee.
Brandi has been the Director of Outcome Measurement & Strategic Initiatives/Primary Data Support with Alberta Health Services since 2012. Brandi’s team provides expertise in the collection, measurement and analysis of primary data (e.g. PREMS and PROMS) across the organization.
Scientific Advisory Committee
Markus Lahtinen, PhD
Scientific Advisory Committee
Measurement Team Lead
Health Quality Council of Alberta
Markus joined HQCA in 2009, assuming responsibility for the biennial Satisfaction and Experience with Health Care Services: Survey of Albertans. In addition, Markus is involved in survey and administrative data analytics, survey development and methodology, and report writing.
Prior to the HQCA, he managed and coordinated the Statistics Canada’s Research Data Centre at the University of Calgary. Primary duties included administering daily operations, overseeing staff (i.e. training, supervising, and evaluating personnel), and conducting population research. He also collaborated with other multidisciplinary teams from across Canada to identify and implement strategic and systematic changes to the program.
Markus holds a PhD in sociology with a specialization in health research. He has training in both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Scientific Advisory Committee
Roland Simon, MA
Scientific Advisory Committee
Lead, Health System Analytics
Health Quality Council of Alberta
Roland leads the HQCA’s survey work in primary healthcare, having developed and deployed the HQCA’s new Primary Care Patient Experience Survey. He has expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methodology, and also contributes to developing a variety of other HQCA surveys.
Prior to joining the HQCA in 2015, Roland spent several years with Alberta Health Services as a Research Associate with the Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund, in addition to working in private sector market research. He also spent several years teaching undergraduate sociology and research methods courses at the University of Calgary and Wilfrid Laurier University.
Roland holds a MA in sociology from the University of Calgary, with advanced in training in both quantitative and qualitative research methodology.
The Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) is a provincial agency that pursues opportunities to improve patient safety and health service quality for Albertans.
Scientific Advisory Committee
Deborah Marshall, PhD, MHSA
Scientific Advisory Committee
Professor
University of Calgary and Arthur J.E. Child Chair of Rheumatology Outcomes Research in the McCaig Institute of Bone and Joint Health
Deborah Marshall holds a Canada Research Chair, Health Services and Systems Research. She is the Director of Health Technology Assessment at the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, a Senior Scientist at Arthritis Research Canada, and a member of the O’Brien Institute of Public Health.
She has experience in technology assessment agencies, academia and pharmaceutical and diagnostics industry research settings. Her research program focuses on patient preferences and patient engagement research, cost-effectiveness analysis, and dynamic simulation modeling of health services delivery to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health care services.
Dr. Marshall is an active member of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) as the Past President of the Board of Directors and various Task Forces, and a member Board of Directors for Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi).
Scientific Advisory Committee
Gouke Bonsel, PhD
Scientific Advisory Committee
Professor
Urasmus University
Netherlands
Chair of large-scale working group, EuroQol Foundation
Scientific Advisory Committee
Mary Modayil, MSPH, PhD
Scientific Advisory Committee
Scientist, Alberta Health Services
Mary has worked on US federal and state-level evaluation projects for eight years and has worked with Alberta Health Services in the area of primary health care on the provincial team during the past four years. Her interest in health is driven by a desire to improve the underlying determinants of health (social, economic, biological). Her graduate training is in population health sciences and epidemiology (PhD). She uses both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to design studies, collect data, analyze and report findings. She has designed health interventions (public health policies, mass media health campaigns, community interventions, randomized controlled trials), evaluated their effectiveness (formative and summative evaluations, multi-level statistical models) and communicated with stakeholders (testing media messages, writing reports) to improve the uptake of effective interventions. She is currently working on improving service delivery within and between sectors affecting health and well-being in Alberta.
Scientific Advisory Committee
Kerry McBrien, MD, MPH, CCFP
Scientific Advisory Committee
Associate Professor
Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences
University of Calgary
Dr. Kerry McBrien is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. She is a clinician-scientist with an active practice in family medicine. Her research focuses in health services research and health economics, with a specific interest in models of care that can improve the quality and efficiency of chronic disease management in primary care.
Jiabi (Jacqueline) Wen
APERSU Research Trainee
Training Program: MSc in Health Policy Research, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Jacqueline was born and raised in Hunan, China. Jacqueline graduated from Renmin University of China in 2018 with BSc in Mathematics and BEcon in Economics. During her summer internship in the Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics at York University, Jacqueline realized her interests were in health-related issues, aiming to focus on health economics in her Master’s degree. Jacqueline is now an MSc student in Health Policy stream.
Jacqueline is happy to join APERSU and ACHORD, and hope to explore the world in health academy with everyone here. Outside of study and research, Jacqueline loves cooking, singing and traveling.
![Stafford Dean, PhD [Chair]](https://apersu-uat.srv.ualberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Stafford-Dean-270x260.jpg)
