By: Allison Currie
Dr. Shanna Trenaman is an Affiliate Scientist with Geriatric Medicine Research, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine at Nova Scotia Health and an Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, at Dalhousie University.
Can you tell us a little bit about your field of research?
I am interested in improving medication use for older adults. I tend to focus my research on older adults who live with dementia or frailty and explore how to improve pharmacy healthcare services from the perspectives of quality and access. This involves using pharmacoepidemiology to investigate medication prescribing at a population level using administrative health data, and design intervention trials to investigate treatments and approaches to care.
What led you to this field/inspired you to do this work?
My training in clinical hospital pharmacy practice involved mentorship from Dr. Susan Bowles who got me interested and inspired in this work. After that I spent six years working for the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Dartmouth General Hospital on their Geriatric Medicine Consult Service where I witnessed, so many times, how a simple change in medications made the difference between people requiring long-term care support and returning home. I was inspired to better understand and share this message. I feel excited about the science behind this and that keeps me fulfilled and motivated to continue.
How does your research translate into healthcare solutions for the patient/public?
We need to first understand and describe the current healthcare and prescribing practices in our province to enable subsequent changes and improvements. I believe that the work that I have been focusing on will help prescribers identify potentially inappropriate prescribing and provide a cue to initiate deprescribing.
What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in your field of research?
Challenge - I feel there is a perception that because certain types of medications are known to be “not good” for older adults there is no appetite to continue to study this. The challenge is that we continue to prescribe and use potentially inappropriate medications in older adults, so this knowledge is not being translated into practice change.
Opportunity – Older adults are a growing portion of our population and the main users of medications. The thought that there will be a growing number of questions needing answers keeps me excited.
Why is research and participation in research important?
I believe that if one intends to use scientific literature to support patient care decisions then one needs to be prepared to contribute to the literature themselves. I feel this very strongly and believe it is my professional responsibility to continue to research and improve care for older adults.
What does the ideal future in your field of research look like to you?
I look forward to a day when the issues that affect the quality of life and care of older, frail, vulnerable adults is a priority of our government, institutions and practices. I believe that as we better care for older adults we will need to use less medication, and we will be able to improve patients’ and caregivers’ lives at the same time.
Research is care, and clinical studies help translate research into potentially life-changing therapies that can help you, your friends and your loved ones. Want to know more about how to get involved? Visit Nova Studies Connect today: novastudiesconnect.ca
