Evaluative Clinical Sciences

Education:

• B.Sc., 2006, biological sciences, University of Guelph, Canada
• PhD, 2013, health outcomes and evaluations, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Canada
• Postdoctoral fellowship, 2017, clinical epidemiology, McGill University, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Senior Scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Holland Bone and Joint Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Assistant professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
• Adjunct scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences

Research Foci:

• Epidemiology
• Health services research
• Quality measurement
• Population studies
• Arthritis

Research Summary:

Dr. Widdifield’s research seeks to improve the evaluation, care and patient outcomes of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. Her research has focused on population-based epidemiological assessments of MSK conditions (arthritis), improving methods for research and surveillance, pharmacoepidemiology, and health services research using health administrative databases and electronic medical records.

Her program of research encompasses a multidisciplinary approach linking the structure of care settings, processes of care, patient outcomes and experiences of care across the continuum of health care delivery, including primary care, rheumatology and orthopaedics; and from symptom onset until death.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Widdifield J, Ivers N, Bernatsky S, Jaakkimainen RL, Bombardier C, Thorne JC, Paterson JM, Young J, Wing L, Tu K. Primary care screening and management of comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis in Ontario, Canada. Arthritis Care & Research. 2016;69(10):1495–1503.
2. Widdifield J, Tu K, Thorne JC, Bombardier C, Paterson JM, Jaakkimainen RL, Wing L, Butt D, Ivers N, Hofstetter C, Lyddiatt A, Ahluwalia V, Bernatsky S. Patterns of care and referrals to rheumatologists in Ontario, Canada. Arthritis Care & Research. 2016;69(1):104–114.
3. Widdifield J, Moura CS, Wang, Y, Abrahamowicz M, Paterson JM, Huang A, Beauchamp ME, Boire G, Fortin PR, Bessette L, Bombardier C, Hanly JG, Feldman D, Bernatsky S. The long-term effect of early intensive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of two population-based cohort studies on time to joint replacement surgery. Journal of Rheumatology. 2016;43(5):861–868.
4. Widdifield J, Bernatsky S, Bombardier C, Paterson JM. ICES REPORT: Rheumatoid arthritis surveillance in Ontario: Monitoring the burden, quality of care and patient outcomes through linkage of administrative health data. Healthcare Quarterly. 2015;18(3)7–10.
5. Widdifield J, Paterson JM, Bernatsky S, Tu K, Thorne JC, Kuriya B, Tomlinson G, Bombardier C. Epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Ontario, Canada. Arthritis & Rheumatology. 2014;66(4):786–793.

Related News and Stories:

• CV: Dr. Jessica Widdifield: New scientist will study musculoskeletal conditions (Oct. 18, 2017)