Selected Expert Advisor Activities

1. Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Dr. Dennis is one of five experts invited by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Early Learning and Child Development Branch to review an updated Health Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program (province-wide health service) screening tool that is administered to all new mothers. The purpose of this screening tool is to identify at-risk mothers who may require further intervention to promote positive maternal and child health outcomes. Currently, the revised screening tool is being pilot tested. Phase I of the pilot test found that the sensitivity and specificity of the tool was optimal using a cut-off of > 2. Phase II of the pilot test is underway and is examining three different screening delivery models using this cut-off. The goal is to have the new tool and delivery model in place for the fall of 2012.
2. Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Dr. Dennis was invited by the Medical Officers of Health and Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program directors to be a member of an Advisory Committee. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is currently strengthening both the screening and home visiting components of the HBHC program while also addressing the inefficiencies of the current delivery model. The role of the Advisory Committee is to provide advice on how best to move forward with the program improvements. Meeting thus far: June 8, 2011; October 7, 2011; April 12, 2012.
3. ECHO: Improving Women’s Health in Ontario. Dr. Dennis was invited to be a member of the Core Committee which will articulate guidelines for postpartum depression identification and treatment with the aim of moving towards province-wide standards of practice. Meetings thus far: January 23, 2011; March 7, 2012; April 23, 2012.
4. Best Start Resource Centre and the Ontario Breastfeeding Committee. Dr. Dennis was invited to be on an Advisory Committee to revise the Baby-Friendly Common Messages document. The goal is to make this resource into a province-wide and easily accessible document to promote the Baby-Friendly Initiative across Ontario. There have been numerous teleconference call since January 2012.
5. ECHO: Improving Women’s Health in Ontario (2011). Dr. Dennis was one of 10 researchers/health professionals invited to participate in a province-wide round table on postpartum depression with the goal of moving towards standards of practice for Ontario (April 5, 2011). A report from this meeting was developed and disseminated to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
6. Beyondblue: The national depression initiative (Australia) (2010). Reviewer for the “Clinical practice guidelines for depression and related disorders – anxiety, bipolar disorder and puerperal psychosis – in the perinatal period: A guideline for primary care health professionals.”
7. Toronto Public Health (2009-2010). Toronto Public Health recently conducted a research study to identify rates and patterns of breastfeeding among first-time Toronto mothers. The study also explored factors associated with breastfeeding, including hospital and community-related factors. A final report was developed entitled: Breastfeeding in Toronto: Promoting Supportive Environments.  Dr. Dennis was requested by Toronto Public Health to be a consultant for this study to assist with data analysis and interpretation and edited the summary and technical reports. It is anticipated that the work will be submitted  for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
8. Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health. (2009-2010) The Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) has two distinct roles. First, the Council is an expert advisory body responding to the needs of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and other Ministries on issues, priorities, and strategies for the maternal, newborn, child and youth health care system in Ontario. Secondly, the Council is a resource to the maternal, newborn, child and youth health care system in Ontario to support system improvement. Currently, Dr. Dennis is an invited member of the Maternal-Newborn Advisory Committee, Breastfeeding Services and Supports work group. The work group will identify leading best practices related to increasing and sustaining breastfeeding initiation and duration rates; identify priority areas for enhanced breastfeeding services, identify areas where greater system integration is necessary, and identify low-cost, evidence-informed, and cost-effective recommendation and options to improve rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration.
9. Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Randomized Controlled Trial Review Committee. Dr. Dennis’s randomized controlled trial expertise was nationally recognized when she was invited to be a panel member for the CIHR Randomized Controlled Trial review committee for 3 years.
10. Invest in Kids (2010). Invest in Kids is a national, charitable organization dedicated to ensuring the healthy social, emotional, and intellectual development of children from birth to age five by strengthening the parenting knowledge, skills, and confidence of all those caring for children. They translate the science of parenting and child development into engaging, easy to understand, relevant resources for parents and professionals. Currently Dr. Dennis is their expert advisor related to postpartum depression.
11. Best Start Resource Centre (2007-2009). Dr. Dennis was a member of Best Start (Ontario’s Maternal Newborn, and Early Child Development Resource Centre) Perinatal Mood Disorders Training Resource Advisory Committee. This committee recently developed a new teaching tool entitled “Perinatal Mood Disorders – an interdisciplinary teaching video” available to all health professionals. The resource consists of a 25-minute video, facilitator guide, and pre/post test. The resource tool, particularly the video, aims to: (1) increase awareness and knowledge of perinatal mood disorders; (2) facilitate viewers’ ability to assess, screen, diagnose, treat, and support clients with perinatal mood disorders; (3) stimulate participatory discussion; and (4) explore additional resources for increased learning through the additional links provided. This resource tool can be used for: (1) individual continuing education; (2) organizational in-services, and lunch and learns in the form of one hour, two hour or half day workshops; (3) academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate level; (4) awareness raising campaign; and (5) presentations.
12. The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) launched the Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) Project in November 1999 with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The purpose of this multi-year project is to support Ontario health professionals by providing them with best practice guidelines for client care. Dr. Dennis was the team leader for the Postpartum Depression BPG commissioned by RNAO, which was launched in May 2005, and has been posted on the US-based National Guideline Clearinghouse.
13. MediSpin (2006). Dr. Dennis’s expertise in perinatal mood disorders was acknowledged when she was the only Canadian invited to participate with a US group of perinatal mental health researchers and psychiatrists to develop an educational video on postpartum depression (funded by the National Institute of Mental Health). Combining their understanding of health and medical issues with expertise in multimedia technology, MediSpin (a multimedia medical communications company) assisted us in the design, development, and delivery of this internet-based teaching program on postpartum depression which was launched in November 2006. The program is found on MedEdPPD.org, a professional, peer-reviewed website developed with the support of the National Institute of Mental Health to foster the education of primary health professionals (e.g., pediatricians, family physicians, obstetricians, psychiatrists, nurses, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives) who care for women who have or are at risk for postpartum depression.
14. NICE Perinatal Depression Guideline (2006). Dr. Dennis was invited by the Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health Guideline Development Group, who developed a national (UK) clinical guideline for the National Health Service (NHS), to be an expert reviewer on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) version of the guideline recommendations.
15. BMJ Mental Health Clinical Algorithm (2006). Based on Dr. Dennis’s postpartum depression expertise, she was invited by the BMJ Evidence-Based Mental Health group to be a reviewer for a “Map of Medicine” online evidence-based clinical algorithm looking at the management of postnatal mental health. Map of Medicine is a collection of clinical algorithms (designed to be viewed online) which are intended to be analytical frameworks for clinical care to be used by students, generalist clinicians, and junior specialist trainees. Dr. Dennis ensured that the content of the algorithm for postnatal mental health was not wrong or misleading and she examined as to whether it was relevant to clinical practice.