We are pleased to announce that Associate Professor Dr. Brodie Sakakibara was recently recognized with UBC Okanagan’s Researcher of the Year in the Health category.
This award speaks to the tremendous impact of Dr. Sakakibara’s research on the health and well-being of people living with chronic conditions, including stroke. Dr. Sakakibara is an expert in chronic disease self-management and prevention, with a particular focus on managing the symptoms of stroke. Although we sometimes speak of it as a one-off event, stroke is a chronic condition that can lead to further complications, known as secondary events, which can include another stroke.
One of the distinguishing features of Dr. Sakakibara’s research is his focus on self-management, in which he works to empower people to manage the symptoms of their condition on their own. While traditional approaches to rehabilitation involve treating a patient in a rehabilitative setting, such as a hospital or a clinic, and then discharging them, self-management supports the long-term health of people living with a condition once they have returned to living in the community, and it enables them to take an active role in tracking their symptoms and maintaining their health.
It’s empowerment. It’s putting people back in control, letting them manage on their own and making them a key partner in their care for much better long-term outcomes. – Dr. Brodie Sakakibara
Another focus of Dr. Sakakibara’s research is telerehabilitation, or rehabilitative care or services delivered remotely, using computers, tablets, and other digital technologies. Telerehabilitation fills several gaps present in traditional rehabilitation, including the transition from hospital settings to the community, which can be an abrupt change from continuous treatment by healthcare professionals to living in the community with limited resources or support. Telerehabilitation has the potential to provide people living with a condition with resources to manage their health, and, importantly, it significantly increases the access to services for people living in rural or remote settings, who might otherwise have to travel long distances to access care.
Click here to read the Faculty of Medicine’s full story on Dr. Sakakibara’s research.
Photo Credits: Headshot photo courtesy of Dr. Brodie Sakakibara