Jessica Bytautas | Department of Health and Society

Biography

Jessica Bytautas is a PhD candidate at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in the Social and Behavioural Health Sciences Division, and an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the University of Toronto Scarborough in the Department of Health and Society. Jessica’s dissertation explores “legacy activities” (i.e., creative works produced by people at the end of life) in the context of a community-based, volunteer-led hospice in Toronto. Using applied theory and ethnographic methods, Jessica’s research explores what legacy means for hospice clients, including those who are precariously housed, and the volunteers, staff, and health care providers who care for them, in order to engage and inform hospice palliative care policy and practice. Jessica’s doctoral research is supported by scholarships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society. Jessica earned her BA(Hons) in philosophy from McMaster University and MSc in health services research from the Institute of Health Policy and Evaluation at the University of Toronto.

Education

PhD candidate, Social and Behavioural Health Sciences (University of Toronto)

MSc, Health Services Research (University of Toronto)

BA(Hons), Philosophy (McMaster University)

Affiliations

Graduate Student, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

Research Trainee, The Kite Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network

Teaching Interests

Health policy

Health foundations

Current issues in health

Research Interests

Aging and society

Social theory and health

Qualitative health research

Awards and Grants

Selected awards:

Canadian Cancer Society Research Training Award (2023-2024)
Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2020-2023)
Queen Elizabeth II/Inge and Ralf Hoffmann Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (2018-2020)

Publications

Selected peer-reviewed publications:

Bytautas, J.P.; Grigorovich, A.; Carson, J.; Fowler, J.; Goldman, I.; Harris, B.; Kerr, A.; Marcotte, A.A.; O’Doherty, K.; Jenkins, A.; Kirkland, S.; Kontos, P. Conversations for change: Engaging older adults as partners in research on gerotechnology. In press: Research Involvement and Engagement.
Yan, H.; Bytautas, J.P.; Isenberg, S.; Kaplan, A.; Hashemi, N.; Kornberg, M.; Hendrickson, T. 2022. Conceptualizing the complexity: A scoping review on grief and bereavement of family and friends following medical assistance in dying (MAID). BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care. 2022 Sep 13:bmjspcare-2022-003715.
Myers, J.; Kim, G.L.; Bytautas, J.P.; Webster, F. 2022. Differing conceptualizations of the goals of care discussion: A critical discourse analysis. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 63(4):495-502.
Miller, F.A.; Lehoux, P.; Rac, V.E.; Bytautas, J.P.; Krahn, M. Peacock, S. 2020. Modes of coordination for health technology adoption: Health Technology Assessment Agencies and Group Procurement Organizations in a Polycentric Regulatory Regime. Social Science and Medicine. 265:113528.
Bytautas, J.P.; Gheihman, G.; Dobrow, M.J. 2017. A scoping review of online repositories of quality improvement projects, interventions and initiatives in healthcare. BMJ Quality and Safety. 26:296-303.
Bytautas, J.P.; Dobrow, M.; Sullivan, T.; Brown, A. 2014. Accountability in the Ontario cancer services system: A qualitative study of system leaders’ perspectives. Healthcare Policy. 10(SP):45-55.
Chatwood, S.; Bytautas, J.P.; Darychuk, A.; Bjerregaard, P.; Brown, A.; Cole, D.; Hu, H.; Jong, M.; Kvernmo, S.; Veillard, J.; Young, K. 2013. Seminar report: Approaching a collaborative research agenda for health systems performance in circumpolar regions. International Journal for Circumpolar Health. 72:21474.