Sasha Litwin

 Design Lead, Division of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Sasha Litwin is an attending physician in emergency medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto. She received her Masters in Design for Health at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University. As an artist and scientist, she focuses on how to foster creative problem solving in the healthcare space by using human-centred design and design thinking.

Research

Litwin’s research interests are related to improving the patient, family and healthcare provider experience. She is a researcher and educator in the burgeoning field of human-centred design and design thinking. Her research also focuses on using technology to improve the healthcare experience. Dr Litwin has conducted research on the use of virtual reality for distraction during painful procedures and is currently creating a chatbot to provide parents with health information to more confidently care for their child.

Education and experience

• 2017–2018: Masters in Design for Health (MDes), Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada   
• 2017–2018: Fellowship, Healthcare Design and Innovation, University of Toronto (The Hospital for Sick Children), Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
• 2015–2017: Academic Fellowship, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto (The Hospital for Sick Children), Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
• 2012–2015: Residency, Paediatrics, University of Ottawa (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 
• 2008–2012: Doctor of Medicine (MB BCh BAO), School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland    
• 2003–2007: Bachelor of Arts (with Honours), Neuroscience and Behaviour, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

1. Litwin S, Sellen K. Designing a Sensory Kit to Improve the Environment for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Pediatric Emergency Department. J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Jul 14. doi: 10.1007/s10803-022-05651-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35834047.   
2. Rosenfield D, Litwin S, Ostrow O. Establishing a virtual pediatric emergency department follow-up program: a novel strategy for improving access to care. Can J Emerg Med 24, 670 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43678-022-00338-5  
3. Litwin SP, Nguyen C, Hundert A, Stuart S, Liu D, Maguire B, Matava C, Stinson J. Virtual Reality to Reduce Procedural Pain During IV Insertion in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Clin J Pain. 2021 Feb 1;37(2):94-101. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000894. PMID: 33177370. 
4. Litwin S, Diallo M, Ostrow O. The Parent Perspective on Return Visits to the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle. Pediatric Emergency Care. December 2021; 37(12): e1321-e1325 doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000002031 
5. Odutayo A, Adhikari NK, Barton J, Burns KE, Friedrich JO, Klein D, Lapinsky S, Litwin SP, Meret A, Moineddin R, Richardson B, Richardson R, Zaltzman A, Hladunewich M, Wald R. Epidemiology of Acute Kidney Injury in Canadian Critical Care Units: A Prospective Cohort Study. Can J Anaesth. 2012 Oct;59(10):934-42. 

Funding

• 2020–2023: Using AI-Enhanced Social Robots to Improve Children’s Healthcare Experiences, Co-Investigator, Canada-UK Artificial Intelligence Initiative, $1 million CAD 
• 2020: Designing a Chatbot to Support Caregivers after Discharge from the Emergency Department, Principal Investigator, Creative Professional Activities Grant, $9,564 CAD

Affiliated websites