Selected Projects and Publications

Environmental scans, analyses and writing

  • Comprehensive literature search, identification of existing programs internationally, and summary of findings (core issues/factors driving social housing needs and challenges; what various jurisdictions were doing in terms of policy direction and practice) for development of social housing policy for Prince Edward Island (project with Atlantic Evaluation Group)
  • Supporting Sexual Health and Intimacy in Care Facilities: Guidelines for Supporting Seniors and Adults with Disabilities Living in Long-Term Care Facilities and Group Homes In British Columbia, Canada: Identified and interviewed key informants and experts in sexual health for the elderly and people with disabilities; conducted systematic literature search for documents discussing clinical, legal, ethical and educational aspects of the topic; obtained difficult to find documents such as unpublished guidelines and policies from individual facilities and from government agencies internationally
  • Analytical review of the content of a preventive health and health promotion website, including recommendations for content development, and the analysis of proprietary health-related databases for use in future systematic reviews in preventive health and health promotion for a national public health government agency
  • Use of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents: report summarizing the debate surrounding the issue from clinical, legal and sociocultural perspectives, including extensive bibliography and identifying experts in the field, for a non-profit health research foundation
  • Report on the emergence and comparison of child and youth diagnoses in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – DSM editions I to IV (text revision)
  • Continuous Enhancement of Quality Measurement (CEQM) in Primary Mental Health Care: Closing the Implementation Loop - Identifying and recruiting experts in primary mental health care for Canada-wide research project funded by Primary Health Care Transition Fund
  • Qualitative and quantitative analysis of performance measurement reports aimed at senior decision-makers for a Health Canada funded research project
  • Report reviewing and comparing HIV/AIDS philanthropic programmes of leading pharmaceutical companies for an international consulting firm specializing in developing countries
  • Literature review and annotated bibliography of child and youth back-to-school education material around mental health promotion and substance abuse for a non-profit community services organization
  • Survey of newsletters and other communication tools for health-related information for a regional health authority
  • Editing of a set of educator booklets designed for elementary school teacher for the Kids on the Block educational program of a province-wide non-profit organization

Comprehensive and systematic literature searches

  • Comprehensive literature searches for review of clinical services for strategic planning for ambulatory/outpatient facility for Fraser Health Authority – Surrey Memorial Hospital
  • Comprehensive literature searches of services for strategic planning for Acute Care Capacity Initiative for Fraser Health Authority
  • Health policy
    • Child and youth mental health service delivery models and systems
    • Mental health promotion for aboriginal children and youth
    • Women's health frameworks and development/evaluation of women's health indicators
    • Government policy, including legislation, on supported employment programs for the mentally ill
  • Health human resources planning
    • Models for health consortia development
    • Staffing, training and delivery models for vision care
    • Determinants of supply and distribution of physicians and other health providers
    • Trends in nursing resources
  • Quality of care
    • Public reporting of performance measures
    • Population-based eye care service quality indicators
    • Best practices in mental health services for individuals with dual diagnosis (mental illness and developmental disability)
    • Clinical effectiveness debates in hospital-based technology assessment
  • Allocation of resources
    • Gender and health care utilization
    • Pattern of practice and patient utilization analysis for vision care
    • Patterns of morbidity and health services utilization by persons with chronic disease
    • Autism and Lovaas treatment, cost-benefit analysis
    • Patterns of outpatient surgery for cataracts
    • Hospital services utilization, depression and health determinants
    • Health services utilization by immigrants
    • Cost-effectiveness of coronary stents
    • Inappropriate prescribing to the elderly
    • Appropriate use of prescription drugs
  • Governance issues
    • Governance and patient safety
  • Wait lists
    • Access to health services in Canada and priority setting
  • Employee satisfaction
    • Factors affecting nurse satisfaction in hospital settings
  • Patient satisfaction
    • Factors contributing to patient satisfaction in hospital settings
    • Identification of patient satisfaction tools in hospital settings (emergency department, long-term care facilities, day surgery and mental health)
  • Telehealth
  • Development of a mental health toolkit for self-management of mental illness
  • Guidelines for public and patient education strategies around mental illness
  • Minimum data set development and information systems to track delivery of mental health services
  • Self-management of chronic disease
  • Cross border medicine
  • Premature mortality rate (PMR) in relation to and as measure for health status and need for health services
  • Traumatic brain injury and return to work/supported employment programmes

Selected Publications

Wright, M.D. (2008). Supporting sexual health and intimacy in care facilities: guidelines for supporting seniors and adults with disabilities living in long-term care facilities and group homes in British Columbia, Canada. Literature search – methodology, bibliography, key informants [report for Public Health Agency of Canada]. Vancouver, BC: Apex Information.

Wright, M.D. and Kazanjian, A. (2007) Best practices for vulnerable populations: methodology for systematically reviewing evidence of effectiveness for the Canadian Best Practices Portal for Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention: Geographic Location – Rural: final report [report for Public Health Agency of Canada]. Vancouver, BC: Dept. of Health Care and Epidemiology, UBC.

Wright, MD. (2007). Independent information professional. In: A day in the life: Career options in library and information science. Westport, CT: Libaries Unlimited.

Wright, M.D. (2006) The use of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents: an overview of the debate [report for St. Luke's Health Initiatives, Arizona Health Futures]. Vancouver, BC: Apex Information.

Wright, MD. (2005). Fraser Health Library Service: Guidelines for DB/TextWorks data entry and cataloguing conventions. New Westminster, BC: Fraser Health Library Service.

Wright, MD. (2004). Developing standards for a public education resource centre: Questions to ask and considerations. Vancouver, BC: Apex Information.

Wright, MD. (2002). Searching PubMed: An introduction [tips sheet]. Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.

Kazanjian, A., Helmer, D., and Wright, M.D. (2001). Evidence-based health policy in Canada: Identifying the appropriate information for health technology decisions. Scipolicy, 1(2), 198-225.

Helmer, D., Wright, M.D., and Kazanjian, A. (2000). Shooting from the hip or target practice: A comparison of fugitive and conventional search results. Presentation Medical Library Association, Canadian Health Libraries Association Joint Conference. Vancouver, BC: BC Office of Health Technology Assessment.

Helmer, D., Wright, M.D., Savoie, I., and Green, C.J. (1999). Bibliography on systematic reviews: Locating, understanding and using the evidence. (BCOHTA 1999:2W.) Vancouver, BC: BC Office of Health Technology Assessment.