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Abdul-Fatawu Abdulai is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia-Vancouver. He conducts research on health informatics, human-computer interaction and health technology design. His program of research seeks to explore how principles of human-computer interaction and trauma-informed care approaches can be leveraged to address inequities in sexual and reproductive health access for marginalized populations. He primarily conducts informatics-related research on endometriosis-associated sexual pains, sexually transmitted infections, and sexual health-related stigma.
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Trauma-informed care in digital health technologies: Protocol for a scoping review University of British Columbia Publication 2023-06-23 Abdulai, A-.F., Czerniak, E., Duong, C., Mehta, A., Chiu, R., Stroulia, E., & Norman, W.V. (2024). Intersectionality in developing a virtual community of practice platform on abortion. In G. Strudwick, N.R. Hardiker, G. Rees, R. Cook, & Y.J. Lee (Eds.), In University of British Columbia Publication 2023-06-19 Abdulai, A-.F. & Hung, L. (2023). Will ChatGPT undermine ethical values in nursing education, research, and practice. Nurs Inq, 30(3), e12556. University of British Columbia Publication 2023-07-01 Abdulai, A-.F., Naghdali, H., Noga, H., & Yong, P.J. (2024). Patient-centered approaches for designing destigmatizing sexual pain-related web-based platforms: Qualitative study. JMIR Formative Research, 8(1), e53742. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-03-15 Leveraging cultural-language translation apps to support and promote equitable older adult care: A scoping review TRS1 1.8 Toronto Metropolitan University, University of British Columbia Publication 2025-03-21 Chung-Lee, L. ,
Akbarian, A. ,
Yoon, R. ,
Abdulai, A. , Anoushka Anoushka, Rade Zinaic,
Stamenova, V. ,
Hou, R. ,
Wong, J. TRS1 1.8 Defining Research Priorities for Trauma-Informed Design of Digital Health Interventions in Sexual Health This project, supported by the Michael Smith Health Research BC Convening & Collaborating (C2) Award, aims to define research priorities for trauma-informed design of digital health interventions in sexual health. The initiative brings together experts in digital health, trauma-informed care, and patient partners to explore and co-create research directions that address the collective interests of all stakeholders. The project recognizes the potential for digital health technologies to inadvertently trigger trauma among users, especially those with sensitive or stigmatizing sexual health challenges, and seeks to ensure that interventions are designed in ways that are safe, supportive, and effectiveOther University of British Columbia Award 2023-06-01 Abdulai, A. ,
" Kaitlyn Goldsmith
" , University of British Columbia UBC
Other Digital health technologies for accessing contraceptive services among young people in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol This scoping review aims to examine and synthesize existing literature on the use of digital health technologies, with a focus on the extent and types of technologies used to access contraceptive services among young people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Globally, digital health technologies have emerged as pivotal tools in addressing contraceptive needs among young people. In SSA, where traditional healthcare systems often face numerous challenges, these technologies offer innovative solutions to improve access to contraceptive services. Despite growing interest in digital health technologies, comprehensive reviews on contraceptive access among young people in SSA are still lacking. Most existing studies focus broadly on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) or adult populations, leaving a gap in understanding the unique needs and experiences of young people using digital technologies for contraception services. It is unclear how much research has been conducted to examine how these technologies can facilitate contraceptive use, which technologies are used and why, where this evidence is concentrated within SSA, and the prevailing gaps. Therefore, we propose to undertake a scoping review. This scoping review will include studies focusing on young people aged 10-24 years in SSA, addressing access challenges to contraceptive services within this age group. The review will consider client-facing digital health technologies. All methodological approaches and designs will be included. Reviews, protocols, conference papers, policy briefs and studies conducted outside SSA will be excluded. The review will apply the comprehensive search strategy recommended by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The initial limited search of MEDLINE (Ovid) and CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost) was conducted with guidance from the University Librarian. This informed the selection of keywords, along with index terms, to develop a full search strategy for MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL Complete (EBSCOhost), Scopus, Compendix Engineering Village, and IEEE Xplore. The scoping review shall also use supplementary resources such as google scholar, and African Journal online (AJOL). We will also review the reference lists of articles that meet the inclusion criteria to ascertain articles that were not returned by the search criteria. Data will be presented using tables and charts, accompanied by a narrative summary. This scoping review was registered in Open Science Framework: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5QJ6P. University of British Columbia Publication 2025-07-10 Agnes Kyamulabi, Eva Oberle, Lotenna Olisaeloka, Innocent Kamya, Ingrid Nyesigire, Wendy V Norman,
Abdulai, A. Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Academia With Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools becoming increasingly commonplace, the usage of AI-enabled tools in education has also grown. AI-enabled tools refer to machines incorporated with human-like capabilities, such as reasoning, interpretation, and problem-solving, to perform tasks that require human intelligence. ChatGPT is one of these tools, which uses large language models (LLM), a type of AI that generates natural language, to give human-like answers to questions. This study investigated nursing students’ perspectives on AI-enabled tools, such as ChatGPT, aiming to identify (1) perceived benefits and challenges and (2) implications for the ethical and responsible use of AI within undergraduate nursing programs. Using interpretive description, we conducted focus group interviews with undergraduate nursing students. Through convenience sampling, sixteen students were recruited. Our findings revealed four key themes - utilization as a support tool, utilization leading to a loss of competency in foundational skills, utilization risking credibility and academic integrity, and the need for further education and resources. Three key factors – evidence-based practice, ethical considerations, and the importance of critical thinking skills – influence nursing students’ perspectives toward AI tools. To ensure the safe and ethical use of AI in academia, robust institutional policies and training are needed. Promoting open dialogues and education can help students understand AI's advantages, potential harms, and risk mitigation strategies. Future research should build a comprehensive understanding of the perspectives of undergraduate and graduate nursing students, and educators on AI usage in academia. Development of interventions that mitigate AI-usage risks is also necessary to improve integration into education. University of British Columbia Publication 2025-06-06 Michelle Lam, Nassim Adhami, Olivia Du, Riley Huntley,
Abdulai, A. , Karen Lok Yi Wong, Lillian Hung
Pelvic pain & endometriosis: the development of a patient-centred e-health resource for those affected by endometriosis-associated dyspareunia Abstract Background We recognized a paucity of accessible, evidence-based, empowering patient-centred resources for those with endometriosis-associated dyspareunia. Affecting more than 50% of people with endometriosis, dyspareunia can significantly impact relationships, chronic pain and the ability to have a family. We aimed to develop a patient-centred educational website for those affected by endometriosis-associated dyspareunia. Methods To develop a functional and meaningful website for endometriosis-associated dyspareunia, we utilized a Knowledge to Action framework, supplemented with a patient-centred research design and technology-enabled knowledge translation. Our patient partners influenced the direction and scope of the project, provided critical feedback throughout the development process, and approved website revisions prior to launch. The website was developed in five phases; (1) needs assessment interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, (2) landscape analysis of pre-existing websites, (3) development, (4) usability testing and qualitative interviews, and (5) revisions and launch. Results Phase 1 and 2 emphasized a need for comprehensive yet plain language explanations of pain mechanisms and strategies for pain management. Rigorous consultation with key stakeholders informed the creation of the preliminary website in phase 3. Usability testing in phase 4 identified five main categories of usability problems, most of which were considered minor. Phase 4 qualitative interviews identified users’ overall impressions of the preliminary website, including that the website could help people understand their pain and describe their pain to partners and healthcare providers, as well as feel empowered to seek healthcare and validated in their experiences. User suggestions, combined with usability testing, informed revisions in phase 5. Conclusion We developed an educational website for endometriosis-associated painful sex where people can find evidence-based etiologies for pain, pain management options, and actionable resources. Based on the data collected through qualitative interviews with patients, this website can potentially empower people to seek health care. The strength of the website development approach used was the inclusion of qualitative user insights in addition to the commonly completed user tests. The patient interviews provided insights into the potential impact of the website and, thus, ensured that we not only created a functional website that meets end users’ needs, but a website that is also meaningful to those affected by this condition. University of British Columbia Publication 2025-02-13 Gurkiran Parmar, A Fuchsia Howard, Heather Noga, Leah Tannock,
Abdulai, A. , Catherine Allaire, Sarah Lett, Jessica Sutherland, Edurne Lopez de Arbina, Lone Hummelshøj, Phillipa Bridge-Cook, Paul J Yong
Addressing technology-mediated stigma in sexual health-related digital platforms: Insights from design team members Digital health technologies are increasingly used as complementary tools in accessing sexual health-related services. At the same time, there are concerns regarding how some interface features and content of these technologies could inadvertently foment stigma among end users. In this study, we explored how design teams (i.e., those involved in creating digital health technologies) might address stigmatizing components when designing sexual health-related digital technologies. We interviewed 14 design team members (i.e., software engineers, user interface and user experience (UI/UX) designers, content creators, and project managers) who were involved in digital health design projects across two universities in western Canada. The interviews sought to undersand their perspectives of how to create destigmatizing digital technologies and were centered on strategies that they might adopt or the kind of expertise or support they might need to be able to address stigmatizing features or content on sexual health-related digital technologies. The findings revealed two overarching approaches regarding how digital health technologies could be designed to prevent the unintended effects of stigma. These include functional design considerations (i.e., pop-up notifications, infographics, and video-based testimonials, and avoiding the use of cookies or other security-risk features) and non-functional design considerations (i.e., adopting an interprofessional and collaborative approach to design, educating software designers on domain knowledge about stigma, and ensuring consistent user testing of content). These findings reflected functional and non-functional design strategies as applied in software design. These findings are considered crucial in addressing stigma but are not often apparent to designers involved in digital health projects. This suggests the need for software engineers to understand and consider non-functional, emotional, and content-related design strategies that could address stigmatizing attributes via digital health platforms. University of British Columbia Publication 2025-02-04 Abdulai, A. , A Fuchsia Howard, Paul J Yong, Leanne M Currie
Students perspectives on the development and deployment of an AI-enabled service robot in long-term care The need for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in gerontology education is underscored by the potential benefits it offers in addressing loneliness and supporting social connection among older adults in long-term care (LTC) homes. While the workforce in LTC is often overburdened, AI-enabled service robots present possible solutions to enhance residents' quality of life. However, the incorporation of AI and service robots in current gerontology curricula is lacking, and the views of students on this subject remain largely unexamined. This study aims to fill this gap by capturing the perspectives of university students regarding the deployment of an AI robot, Aether, in LTC environments. In this qualitative study, we conducted focus groups with 22 university students. Our thematic analysis identified three themes: (1) Aether's anticipated usage in geriatric care: companionship support and complementing the work of staff; (2) Challenges in using Aether: technical and emotional challenges; and (3) Solutions and future possibilities: expanding functionalities and integrating personalization features. Students expressed a positive outlook on the role of AI-enabled robots while also highlighting the necessity of addressing ethical and practical considerations. To effectively integrate AI technology in gerontology education, it is essential to understand and incorporate student perspectives, attitudes, and opinions. University of British Columbia Publication 2025-01-17 Lillian Hung,
Abdulai, A. , Albin Soni, Karen Lok Yi Wong, Lily Haopu Ren, Renjie Xia, K E Davies
Is Generative AI Increasing the Risk for Technology‐Mediated Trauma Among Vulnerable Populations? ABSTRACT The proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) has led to an increased reliance on AI‐generated content for designing and deploying digital health interventions. While generative AI has the potential to facilitate and automate healthcare, there are concerns that AI‐generated content and AI‐generated health advice could trigger, perpetuate, or exacerbate prior traumatic experiences among vulnerable populations. In this discussion article, I examined how generative‐AI‐powered digital health interventions could trigger, perpetuate, or exacerbate emotional trauma among vulnerable populations who rely on digital health interventions as complementary or alternative sources of seeking health services or information. I then proposed actionable strategies for mitigating AI‐generated trauma in the context of digital health interventions. The arguments raised in this article are expected to shift the focus of AI practitioners against prioritizing dominant narratives in AI algorithms into seriously considering the needs of vulnerable minority groups who are at the greatest risk for trauma but are often invisible in AI data sets, AI algorithms, and their resultant technologies. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-11-19 Nurse practitioner medication abortion providers in Canada: results from a national survey In 2017, nurse practitioners (NPs) became the first non-physician healthcare providers authorised to independently provide medication abortion (MA) in Canada. We aimed to report on demographic and clinical characteristics of NPs providing mifepristone/misoprostol MA in Canada and to identify context-specific barriers and enablers to NP provision of mifepristone/misoprostol MA in Canada among MA providers and non-providers. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-10-16 Emma Stirling Cameron, Andrea Carson,
Abdulai, A. , Ruth Martin‐Misener, Regina Renner, Madeleine Ennis, Wendy V Norman
Corrigendum to Co-Creating an Online Platform to Advance Access to Abortion: Findings From the CART-ACCESS Project University of British Columbia Publication 2024-09-01 Integrating Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Indigeneity into an Informatics Curriculum In this case study, we present the inclusion of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity (JEDI-I) principles into a graduate certificate in clinical informatics. We specifically focus on two assignments that were created for the program: 1) journal club, 2) usability evaluation. We found that there was limited description of JEDI-I principles in journal club articles. New criteria for authentic resource evaluation were somewhat met in the usability evaluation of a sexual health website. Incorporating JEDI-I principles into the assignments supported fulsome conversations about end-user of technology in healthcare. Identifying examples of including JEDI-I would strengthen students' experiences in clinical informatics programs. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-07-24 Trauma-Informed Technology Design in Digital Sexual Health Interventions Digital health provides a great opportunity to increase access to sexual health information and/or services. However, it can inadvertently cause emotional trauma to end users depending on how it is designed or deployed. In this study, we explored recommendations for designing trauma-informed digital health technologies and identified three preliminary themes. These include considerations for privacy and confidentiality, intuitive and representative designs and inclusive language. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-07-24 Janell C Josephs, Vicky Bungay, Adrian Guţă, Mark Gilbert,
Abdulai, A. Intersectionality in Developing a Virtual Community of Practice Platform on Abortion Abortion is an essential healthcare service in many countries including Canada. The number of people who seek abortion is disproportionately higher among equity-deserving populations. Yet the knowledge needed to provide evidence-based, culturally safe, and gender-affirming abortion services remain limited among healthcare professionals. Using an intersectional lens, we conducted focus group discussions with 14 healthcare professionals to understand how an abortion web-based platform, which is currently under development, can be adapted to meet the needs of equity deserving populations. The findings revealed the need for multi-lingual resources on abortion, information on funding coverage for undocumented migrants, educational resources on Indigenous cultural safety and gender-affirming practices, and a mapping tool to locate providers or pharmacists. Beyond presenting clinical guidelines on web platforms, this study revealed important considerations for the design of web platforms that can help advance access to abortion for equity-deserving populations. University of British Columbia, University of Alberta Publication 2024-07-24 Integration of Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Indigeneity Principles into Usability Heuristic Evaluations Cognitive walkthrough is a form of usability testing that considers the perspective of the end users to identify issues related to user experience and web design. This project aims to enhance traditional heuristic evaluation methods with consideration of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and indigeneity (EDI-I) principles. The authors provide suggestions that align with modern informatics advancements, aiming for inclusive design systems and the elimination of systemic barriers. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-07-24 Upasana Rosha, Janell C Josephs, Leanne M Currie,
Abdulai, A. A Health Professional Mentorship Platform to Improve Equitable Access to Abortion: Development, Usability, and Content Evaluation Access to safe abortion care is a reproductive right for all individuals across Canada. Underserved populations are overrepresented among those with unintended pregnancies and particularly those seeking abortion. Yet, few resources exist to help health care and allied helping professionals provide culturally competent and gender-affirming abortion care to such a population group. This project aimed to redesign and adapt an existing subscription-based medication abortion mentorship platform into a culturally appropriate and gender-affirming open-access website of curated health professional resources to promote equitable, accessible, high-quality abortion care, particularly for underserved populations. We drew on a user-centered design framework to redesign the web platform in 5 iterative phases. Health care and allied helping professionals were engaged in each stage of the development process including the initial design of the platform, curation of the resources, review of the content, and evaluation of the wireframes and the end product. This project resulted in an open-access bilingual (English and French) web-based platform containing comprehensive information and resources on abortion care for health care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists) and allied helping professionals (midwives, medical officers, community workers, and social workers). The website incorporated information on clinical, logistical, and administrative guidance, including culturally competent and gender-affirming toolkits that could equip health care professionals with the requisite knowledge to provide abortion care for underserved populations. This platform contains resources that can increase the competencies of health care professionals to initiate and sustain culturally and contextually appropriate abortion care for underserved groups while clarifying myths and misconceptions that often militate against initiating abortion. Our resource also has the potential to support equitable access to high-quality abortion care, particularly for those among underserved populations who may have the greatest unmet need for abortion services yet face the greatest barriers to accessing care. University of British Columbia, University of Alberta Publication 2024-06-19 Co-Creating an Online Platform to Advance Access to Abortion: Findings From the CART-ACCESS Project University of British Columbia Publication 2024-05-01 The quality, suitability, and readability of web-based resources on endometriosis-associated dyspareunia: A systematic review People commonly and increasingly rely on the internet to search for health information, including those related to endometriosis-associated dyspareunia. Yet the content of such websites may be of variable accuracy and quality. This review aims to evaluate the quality, readability, and suitability of web-based resources on endometriosis-associated dyspareunia for patients. We searched 3 databases - Google, Bing, and Yahoo - to identify websites related to endometriosis-associated dyspareunia. Two independent reviewers screened the search results against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Another set of two reviewers evaluated the selected websites using validated measurement instruments. Out of 450 websites, 21 met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated. More than half of the websites had information on content updates, reported on authorship, or disclosed sponsorship information. The mean quality and suitability scores were 47.5 (SD = 13.3) and 65.2 (SD = 13.6) respectively, thus suggesting generally adequate quality and suitability levels. However, the mean readability scores exceeded the recommended level for health-related websites. The poor readability of the websites might limit accessibility for a significant proportion of patients with low educational levels. The findings of this review have implications for designing high-quality, readable and up-to-date web interventions for people who rely on web platforms as an alternative or complementary source of health information on dyspareunia. University of British Columbia Publication 2024-01-01 Abdulai, A. , A Fuchsia Howard, Gurkiran Parmar, Heather Noga, Abdul Ghafoor, Michelle Lisonek, Paul J Yong
Patient-Centered Approaches for Designing Destigmatizing Sexual Pain-Related Web-Based Platforms: Qualitative Study (Preprint) BACKGROUND Sexual pain is a common but neglected disorder that affects approximately 3% to 18% of women and an unmeasured number of gender-diverse people worldwide. Despite its wide prevalence, many people feel reluctant to visit conventional health care services or disclose their symptoms due to the fear of stigmatization. To alleviate this stigma, various web-based interventions have been developed to complement and, in some cases, replace conventional sexual health interventions. However, the way these web-based interventions are developed could inadvertently reproduce, perpetuate, or exacerbate stigma among end user patients. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand patients’ perspectives on how sexual pain–related web platforms can be designed to alleviate stigma or prevent the unintended effects of stigma among patients who use web-based interventions. METHODS Individual semistructured interviews were conducted among 16 participants with lived experiences of painful sex in a large urban city in Western Canada. Participants were recruited via social media platforms, newsletters, and a provincial health volunteer website. Using a sample sexual pain website to provide context, participants were interviewed about their experiences of stigma and how they think web platforms could be designed to address stigma. The interviews were conducted via Zoom (Zoom Technologies Inc) and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS The findings revealed 4 overarching themes that represented participants’ perspectives on designing web platforms that may alleviate or prevent the unintended effects of stigma. These findings suggested the design of inclusive web platforms, having a nonprovocative and calming user interface, having features that facilitate connections among users and between users and providers, and displaying personal testimonials and experiences of sexual pain. CONCLUSIONS This study highlighted patient-centered design approaches that could serve as a reference guide in developing web platforms that alleviate or prevent the unintended effects of stigma, particularly among nonheterosexual and gender-diverse people. While this study was conducted in the context of sexual pain, the results might also apply to web platforms on other potentially stigmatizing health-related disorders or conditions. University of British ColumbiaPublication 2023-10-17
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