Faculty profile

Karen Okrainec

ResearcherUniversity of Toronto

This profile is built from public research funding records (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and PubMed. We have not imported them from a University of Toronto directory, so their courses and email address may be missing. Find their university profile.

Karen Okrainec

Researcher

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Has led research grants, which requires an independent research appointment. Ask their department whether they supervise graduate students.
21 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 12 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 3 research grants (3 CIHR), most recently in 2022.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

Citations

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

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Signals and details

Research

Experience-Based Co-Design Health Service Healthcare Providers Young Carers Youth Caregivers Health Care Utilization Integrated Care Patient Experience

Latest papers

Patient and caregiver priorities for quality improvement on general medical wards: a multicentre group concept mapping study
BMJ Quality and Safety · 2026
Burnout Risk Among Providers of an Integrated Care Program Supporting Transitions Between the Hospital and Home: A Descriptive Mixed Methods Evaluation.
International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026 · senior author
Challenges and solutions for colorectal surgery patients during hospital-to-home transitions: a scoping review.
BMJ open · 2026 · senior author

All 36 publications

Latest funding

Patient and Caregiver Priorities for Quality Improvement on General Medical Wards
CIHR · 2023 · Co-investigator
$100,000
Using Administrative Health Data to Understand Readmissions after Early Discharge following Transcatheter Congenital Heart Disease Interventions in Canada
CIHR · 2023 · Co-investigator
$382,500
Patient and Caregiver Priorities for Quality Improvement on General Medical Wards
CIHR · 2022 · Co-investigator
$100,000

All 7 grants and awards

36 publications.

Patient and caregiver priorities for quality improvement on general medical wards: a multicentre group concept mapping study

Lapointe-Shaw L, Salahub C, Lee M, Verma AA, Razak F, Ambasta A, Refaei M, Carpenter T, Moses B, Shetty N

BMJ Quality and Safety2026

DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2026-020280

Burnout Risk Among Providers of an Integrated Care Program Supporting Transitions Between the Hospital and Home: A Descriptive Mixed Methods Evaluation.

Orach J, Afzaal A, Bathla A, Yang Z, Lapointe-Shaw L, Cunningham C, Rac VE, Hahn-Goldberg S, Chang M, Chan C, Gosse C, Hay E, MacMillan TE, Grinman M, Okrainec K

International journal of environmental research and public health2026Senior author

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23050612 PMID: 42196704

Challenges and solutions for colorectal surgery patients during hospital-to-home transitions: a scoping review.

Steane A, Singh H, Chadi SA, Jaswal H, Orchanian-Cheff A, Okrainec K

BMJ open2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-112345 PMID: 42463184

A qualitative exploration of patient perspectives regarding patient education during their colorectal surgical experience.

Steane A, Chadi SA, Singh H, Okrainec K

Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1111/codi.70485 PMID: 42144565

Comparative Use of Homecare and Health Services Following Hospitalization with COVID-19, Sepsis, and Influenza: Population-Based Cohort Study.

Jaswal HK, Pequeno P, Lee S, Quinn KL, Okrainec K

Journal of general internal medicine2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1007/s11606-026-10532-1 PMID: 42258050

Choosing ‘Less’ Wisely as a marker of decisional conflict

Okrainec K, Roy M

BMJ Quality and Safety2025First author

DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2024-017933

The Need for Health Systems to Engage With and Support Youth who are Caregivers-A Lived Experience Perspective From Young Carers.

Grant A, Goberdhan N, Mar K, Ramkishun A, Rahman S, Redublo T, Caven I, Okrainec K

Journal of patient experience2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1177/23743735251383246 PMID: 41064416

Co-Designing Solutions to Improve Communication About Serious Illness During Hospitalisation.

Caven I, Frew M, Hyc J, Lewin W, Rosart J, Troup A, Kim L, James H, Agbeyaka S, Chau A, Dunbar-Yaffe R, Okrainec K

Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1111/hex.70513 PMID: 41307207

"What are you afraid of?" A mixed methods exploration of serious illness communication with oncology patients on general internal medicine wards in Canada.

Caven I, Lewin W, James H, Troup A, Kaler R, Kim L, Agbeyaka S, Chau A, Dunbar-Yaffe R, Okrainec K

BMC health services research2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12913-025-13512-z PMID: 41074044

It's raining bots: how easier access to internet surveys has created the perfect storm.

Caven I, Yang Z, Okrainec K

BMJ open quality2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2024-003208 PMID: 40451296

Patient and Caregiver Priorities for Quality Improvement on General Medical Wards

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant - PA: Patient-Oriented Research: Early-Career Investigator

Principal investigators: Lapointe-Shaw, Lauren; Ambasta, Anshula; Carpenter, Travis; Castellani, Lucas; Jensen, Lorraine F; Kiran, Tara; Moses, Brian; Razak, Fahad; Refaei, Mohammad; Shetty, Nabha; Verma, Amol

Keywords: Hospital Medicine; Patient-Oriented Research; Performance Measurement; Quality Improvement

$100,000

Using Administrative Health Data to Understand Readmissions after Early Discharge following Transcatheter Congenital Heart Disease Interventions in Canada

Co-investigatorCIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Abrahamyan, Lusine; Horlick, Eric; Kaul, Padmaja R

Keywords: 30-Day Readmission; Administrative Health Data; Congenital Heart Disease In Adults; Pan-Canadian; Transcatheter Interventions

$382,500

Patient and Caregiver Priorities for Quality Improvement on General Medical Wards

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Project Grant - PA: Patient-Oriented Research: Early-Career Investigator

Principal investigators: Lapointe-Shaw, Lauren; Ambasta, Anshula; Castellani, Lucas; Jensen, Lorraine F; Kiran, Tara; Moses, Brian; Razak, Fahad; Shetty, Nabha; Verma, Amol

Keywords: Hospital Medicine; Patient-Oriented Research; Performance Measurement; Quality Improvement

$100,000

Paving a Road Map for Integrated Care Evaluation in Canada: A Mixed Methods Evaluation for Patients with Complex Care Needs in Ontario and Alberta

Nominated PICIHR2022Team Grant: THINC Implementation Science Team Grants - Aging in the Right Place

Principal investigators: Okrainec, Karen; Isaacksz, Shiran; Grinman, Michelle N

Keywords: Health Care Utilization; Integrated Care; Patient Experience

$1,754,555

Recognizing, Identifying and Supporting the Engagement of Youth Providing Care (RISE Up): A National Survey and Co-design Project

Nominated PICIHR2022Catalyst Grant: Healthy Youth

Principal investigators: Okrainec, Karen; Caven, Isabelle

Keywords: Experience-Based Co-Design; Health Service; Healthcare Providers; Young Carers; Youth Caregivers

$91,645

CANCOV2.0: 2-year follow up of the Canadian COVID-19 Prospective Cohort Study

Co-investigatorCIHR2021Op. Gr: Emer. COVID Res. Gaps/Prior- Dif. Impacts on Hist. Excl/Underserved Pops

Principal investigators: Herridge, Margaret S; Cheung, Angela M

Keywords: Caregiver Health; Clinical Presentations & Trajectories; Covid-19 Research Gaps; Determinants And Prevalence Of Long-Term Outcomes Of Covid; Functional And Neuropsychological Health & Quality Of Life; Long Covid Serologic, Immunologic & Inflammatory Biomarkers; Longitudinal Study; Mitigating Factors For Disability & Impact Of Rehabilitation; Neurocognitive, Respiratory, Cardiac & Muscle Systems

$500,000

Effectiveness of Patient Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS) on Care Transitions in Ontario

Nominated PICIHR2019Operating Grant: Transitions in Care - Evaluation Grants

Principal investigators: Okrainec, Karen; Fairclough, Lee; Chaput, Audrey; Hahn-Goldberg, Shoshana

Keywords: Administrative Data; Complex Populations; Effectiveness; Hospital Discharge; Implementation; Individualized Discharge Tools; Patient-Centered Care; Qualitative Analysis

$198,938

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

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Karen Okrainec

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Patient and caregiver priorities for quality improvement on general medical wards: a multicentre group concept mapping study

Burnout Risk Among Providers of an Integrated Care Program Supporting Transitions Between the Hospital and Home: A Descriptive Mixed Methods Evaluation.

Challenges and solutions for colorectal surgery patients during hospital-to-home transitions: a scoping review.

A qualitative exploration of patient perspectives regarding patient education during their colorectal surgical experience.

Comparative Use of Homecare and Health Services Following Hospitalization with COVID-19, Sepsis, and Influenza: Population-Based Cohort Study.

Choosing ‘Less’ Wisely as a marker of decisional conflict

The Need for Health Systems to Engage With and Support Youth who are Caregivers-A Lived Experience Perspective From Young Carers.

Co-Designing Solutions to Improve Communication About Serious Illness During Hospitalisation.

"What are you afraid of?" A mixed methods exploration of serious illness communication with oncology patients on general internal medicine wards in Canada.

It's raining bots: how easier access to internet surveys has created the perfect storm.

Patient and Caregiver Priorities for Quality Improvement on General Medical Wards

Using Administrative Health Data to Understand Readmissions after Early Discharge following Transcatheter Congenital Heart Disease Interventions in Canada

Patient and Caregiver Priorities for Quality Improvement on General Medical Wards

Paving a Road Map for Integrated Care Evaluation in Canada: A Mixed Methods Evaluation for Patients with Complex Care Needs in Ontario and Alberta

Recognizing, Identifying and Supporting the Engagement of Youth Providing Care (RISE Up): A National Survey and Co-design Project

CANCOV2.0: 2-year follow up of the Canadian COVID-19 Prospective Cohort Study

Effectiveness of Patient Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS) on Care Transitions in Ontario

Frequent collaborators

Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg

Lianne Jeffs

Marianne Saragosa

Isabelle Caven

Kerry Kuluski

Hardeep Singh

Lauren Lapointe-Shaw

Tai Huynh

Howard Abrams

Tara Kiran

Audrey Chaput

Murray Krahn

George Tomlinson

Yona Lunsky

Valeria Rac

Lacey Phillips

Ian Brown

Kimberly Devotta

Laura Desveaux

Travis Carpenter

Susan Bookey-Bassett

Anshula Ambasta

Kristine Newman

Zahava Rosenberg-Yunger

Sara Guilcher

Christopher Chan

Aaron Jones

Fahad Razak

Andrew Costa

Melissa Roy

Mohammad Refaei

Lisa McCarthy

Heather Ross

Patricia O’Campo

Chaim Bell