Building Healthcare Around Real Lives

In this episode of Advancing Health Care Through Simulation, host Lisa George sits down with David Campbell, an internal medicine specialist, endocrinologist, and health services researcher whose work focuses on diabetes, chronic disease management, health equity, and improving care for socially disadvantaged populations.

Dr. Campbell explores the growing pressures facing healthcare systems, from workforce shortages and rising chronic disease rates to increasing social inequities that directly impact health outcomes. He explains why effective healthcare extends far beyond clinical visits and why factors such as housing, income, food security, racism, trauma, and access to social supports play a critical role in determining patient outcomes.

The conversation also examines the importance of integrated care teams, patient-oriented research, pragmatic clinical trials, health informatics, and the future role of evidence-based decision-making in healthcare systems.

Topics discussed include:

The growing burden of chronic disease in modern healthcareHow poverty and cost-of-living pressures impact diabetes careWhy healthcare systems struggle to address social determinants of healthThe value of integrated, team-based healthcare modelsLessons from healthcare systems in the United Kingdom and OntarioWhy patient voices must be included in healthcare innovationPragmatic trials and real-world healthcare researchThe Calgary Diabetes Mobile Clinic initiativeThe role of health data, AI, and learning health systemsWhy empathy, trust, and human connection remain essential in healthcareThe future of healthcare innovation and evidence-based policyDr. Campbell offers a powerful reminder that improving healthcare outcomes requires more than better treatments. It requires understanding the realities of people's lives and designing systems that work for everyone.

About:

NAIT Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation – Visit here

This series was produced by Road 55 in Edmonton, Alberta – Learn more at: road55.ca