Dr. Peter Prior
St. Joseph's Health Care London
Cardiac Rehabilitation & Secondary Prevention Program
268 Grosvenor Street, Room B3-689
London, ON N6A 4V2
Telephone: (519) 646-6000, ext. 75725
Email: peter.prior@sjhc.london.on.ca
Clinical interests: In the context of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation I have worked extensively with adult and senior cardiovascular patients. Over the past year, my job has changed, so that I no longer provide direct clinical service. As a clinical and health psychologist, I am now involved two days weekly in training hospital staff in health behaviour change communication and counselling. This ambitious initiative is based upon the Behaviour Change Institute framework of Dr. Michael Vallis, psychologist at Dalhousie University, and is supported by leadership in Medicine Services at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The initiative extends across professions and chronic disease management programs; and aims to effect a broad cultural shift in Medicine Services, in the direction of the biopsychosocial model. Examples of participating services, which aim to support and promote patients’ self-management and health behaviour change, include the cardiac rehabilitation, heart failure, pulmonary rehabilitation, diabetes education and management, pain management, rheumatic diseases, and allergy programs. My role consists of curriculum development, training of and consultation to interdisciplinary staff, development of standardized clinical documentation, measurement and evaluation. Initial training of interdisciplinary staff involves 12 didactic and practice sessions over three months. This is followed by less frequent “behavioural rounds” and/or individual consultations. We have now completed the initial 12-week training of two cohorts of health professionals.
I am also an associate scientist at the Lawson Health Research Foundation, a role in which I work one day weekly, with a focus on clinical research with cardiovascular populations.
While currently under development, practicum components may include initial involvement as a learner in staff training, participation in ongoing curriculum development, interprofessional consultation, or program evaluation.
Topics for workshops, seminars: Psychological issues in cardiovascular disease; The psychologist's role in cardiac rehabilitation or chronic and vascular disease management at an academic health care centre; Behaviour change and chronic disease management.
Type of clinical practica: Intervention; Clinical Research
Types of clients: Adult; Senior
Modality: Interdisciplinary consultation to health professionals
Theoretical orientation: Cognitive-behavioural; Psychodynamic
Types of client problems: Health behaviours and behaviour change
Type of supervision you can provide: Student describes case; Co-consultation; Observe student live
Recent students:
Current students:
Clinical mentor: Available
Research interests: Measurement of individuals' therapeutic change in cardiac rehabilitation; Psychological and neuropsychological factors in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease; Psychological factors in atrial fibrillation; Patient education; Behaviour change training; Knowledge translation for professional training.
Available to supervise: No
Constraints: The practicum is under development but would involve:
1. Participation as a learner as I train a group of professionals in health behaviour change motivation and communication.
and
2. Individual or group consultation to staff in health behaviour change motivation and communication.
Last updated: January 19, 2024
