Dr. Innie Chen is leading research to understand the impact of COVID-19 on women.Dr. Innie Chen is leading research to understand the impact of COVID-19 on women, thanks to seed funding through The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

COVID-19 is affecting women in many ways, from increased caregiving responsibilities to increased risks of domestic violence. Women are also more likely to work in health-care jobs that have a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19. Finally, women may be negatively affected by delays in access to health care associated with COVID-19.

Dr. Chen has assembled an internationally recognized team that will help understand and address this challenge by developing core outcomes for women’s health equity during COVID-19. The researchers will perform a systematic search of the literature and assemble a multidisciplinary panel of community patient partners and healthcare workers to identify the key issues in women’s health during the pandemic. This information will lead to evidence-based strategies to mitigate gender-based impacts and help improve the lives of women during the pandemic.

This is one of more than 20 research and innovation projects funded through the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.

Research team at The Ottawa Hospital/uOttawa:

Innie Chen, Abdul Jamil Choudhry, Angel Arnaout, Amanda Black, Jennifer Blake, Jasmine Gandhi, Claudia Hampel, Alicia Hilderley, Ai-Lien Le, Katherine Muldoon, Stuart Nicholls, Bev Shea, Kednapa Thavorn, Peter Tugwell, Mark Walker

External collaborators: The Society of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Canada (Jocelyn Cook, Courtney Green)

Core resources: Ottawa Methods Centre

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.   

Media Contact 
Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca