Peter Sheffield

Peter Sheffield, PhD Candidate

(He/Him)

MSW, Wilfrid Laurier University
MSc, Medical Sciences, McMaster University
Hon. BSc, Psychology – Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University

Research Interests:

• Interdisciplinary primary healthcare
• Interventions for healthcare provider well-being
• Practitioner retention
• Interprofessional education in the health sciences

Bio

Peter Sheffield (he/him) is a doctoral candidate at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. He holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) Degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Master of Science (MSc, Medical Sciences) and Bachelor of Science (Hons. BSc, Psychology – Behavioral Neuroscience) from McMaster University. 

Peter is a current recipient of a Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). He is an alumnus of TUTOR-PHC (Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research – Primary Healthcare), the only interdisciplinary primary care research training program in Canada and held an inaugural trainee fellowship with the Patient Expertise in Research Collaboration (PERC) at McMaster University from 2023-2024. 

His research interests include interdisciplinary primary healthcare, contextual interventions for healthcare provider well-being, organizational/systemic facilitators of practitioner retention, patient-partnered research, and mixed/multi-methods designs. Peter is also particularly passionate about furthering social work’s contribution to interprofessional education in the health sciences.  

In addition to his academic pursuits, Peter has provided invited workshops in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Wilfrid Laurier University and The Ontario Association of Social Workers and provides ongoing workshop facilitation for the University of Toronto’s Interfaculty Pain Curriculum.

Publications

Ashcroft, R., Donnelly, C., Sheffield, P., Lam, S., Kemp, C., Hamilton, B., Adamson, K., & Brown, J. (2024). A Qualitative Examination of the Facilitators and Barriers Shaping Primary Health Care Teams’ Experiences in the Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccination in Ontario, Canada. PLOS One, 19(6), e0304616. 

Ashcroft, R., Menear, M., Dahrouge, S., Silveira, J., Emode, M., Booton, J., Bahniwal, R., Sheffield, P., & McKenzie, K. (2024) Nurturing an organizational context that supports team-based primary mental health care: a grounded theory study. PLOS One, 19(4), e0301796. 

Ashcroft, R., Donnelly, C., Lam, S., Sheffield, P., Hamilton, B., Kemp, C., Adamson, K., & Brown, J.B.B. (2024). A qualitative examination of primary care team’s participation in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination. BMC Primary Care, 25, 85. 

Ashcroft, R., Lam, S., Feryn, N., Sur, D., Abudiab, S., Sheffield, P., Rayner, J., Mehta, K., & Brown, J. (2023) A Mixed-Methods Examination of the Role of Social Work in Primary Care Teams in Ontario, Canada. Annals of Family Medicine, 21(S3), 5171.

Ashcroft, R., Feryn, N., Lam, S., Hussain, A., Donnelly, C., Mehta, K., Rayner, J., Sur, D., Adamson, K., Sheffield, P., & Brown, J.B. (2023) Social workers’ formal and informal leadership roles in interprofessional primary care teams. Healthcare management forum, 36(5), 304–310.

Sasseville, M., Supper, W., Gartner, J-B., Layani, G., Amil, S., Gagnon, M-P., Hudon, C., Lambert, S., Attisso, E., Bureau Lagarde, V., Breton, M., Poitras M.-E., Pluye, P., Roux-Leevy, P-H., Plaisimon, J., Bergeron, F., Ashcroft, R., Wong, S., Groulx, A. Beaudet, N., Paquette, J-S., D’Anjou, N., Langlois, S., LeBlanc, A., Sheffield, P. (2023) Clinical integration of digital patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in primary healthcare for chronic diseases management – a systematic review protocol (inPR1nt). JMIR research protocols, 12, e48155.

Ashcroft, R., Mathers, A., Gin, A., Lam, S., Donnelly, C., Brown, J.B., Kourgiantakis, T., Adamson, K., Mehta, K., Rayner, J., Sur, D., Kirvan, A., Sheffield, P., & Dolovich, L. (2023). The benefits and challenges of precepting pharmacy students in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 87(7), 100098. 

Ashcroft, R., Donnelly, C., Gill, S., Lam, S., Kourgiantakis, T., Dancey, M., Adamson, K., Sur, D., Mehta, K., Sheffield, P.,Verrilli, D., Dolovich, L., Kirvan, A., & Brown, J.B. (2023) A qualitative study of collaboration in interprofessional primary care teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMJ Open, 13, e067208. 

Policy Documents

Ashcroft, R., Adamson, K., Guy, S., Phelps, F., Sheffield, P., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Rayner, J., Sur, D., on behalf of the Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2024). Social work and primary care: A vision for the path forward. Ottawa: Canadian Association of Social Workers. 

Curriculum Development

Ashcroft, R., Adamson, K., Sheffield, P., Phelps, F., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Sur, D., & Rayner, J. (2024). Module 1: The Role of Social Work in Primary Care in Canada [Online learning module] in Social Work in Primary Care. University of Toronto.   

Ashcroft, R., Adamson, K., Sheffield, P., Phelps, F., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Sur, D., & Rayner, J. (2024). Module 2: Advancing and Advocating for Social and Health Equity [Online learning module] in Social Work in Primary Care. University of Toronto. 

Ashcroft, R., Adamson, K., Sheffield, P., Phelps, F., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Sur, D., & Rayner, J. (2024). Module 3: Biopsychosocial Assessment and Treatment [Online learning module] in Social Work in Primary Care. University of Toronto. 

Ashcroft, R., Adamson, K., Sheffield, P., Phelps, F., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Sur, D., & Rayner, J. (2024). Module 4: Delivery and Documentation of Care: The Role of Technology in Primary Care [Online learning module] in Social Work in Primary Care. University of Toronto.  

Ashcroft, R., Adamson, K., Sheffield, P., Phelps, F., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Sur, D., & Rayner, J. (2024). Module 5: Evidence, Practice Wisdom and Quality Improvement [Online learning module] in Social Work in Primary Care. University of Toronto.   

Ashcroft, R., Adamson K., Sheffield, P., Phelps, F., Webber, G., Dallaire, L.F., Kemp, C., Sur, D., & Rayner, J. (2024). Module 6: Nurturing a Learning Community [Online learning module] in Social Work in Primary Care. University of Toronto. 

Conference Presentations

Sheffield, P, Rayner, J, Jones, J, Ashcroft, R (2024, November 20-24) Facilitating Well-Being in Primary Healthcare During COVID-19: A Rapid Systematic Review. North American Primary Care Research Group, Quebec City, Canada

Sheffield, P, Ashcroft, R (2024, November 20-24) Facilitating Retention of the Team-Based Primary Healthcare Workforce in Canada: Developing Guidance for Change Initiatives. North American Primary Care Research Group, Quebec City, Canada

Ganann, R, MacNeil, M, Sheffield, P, Boyle, J, Rouly, G, Tagami, A, Chisholm, A (2024, November 20-24) Envisioning roles for patient partners in primary health care systems of the future: A structured priority setting exercise. North American Primary Care Research Group, Quebec City, Canada

Ashcroft R, Adamson K, Sheffield P, Phelps F, Webber G, Dallaire L-F, Kemp C, Rayner J, Sur D (2024, November 20-24) Advancing the Capacity of Canadian Social Workers in Primary Health Care – Team Primary Care. North American Primary Care Research Group, Quebec City, Canada

Sheffield, P, Ashcroft, R (2024, May 14-16) The 6C approach: Principles for interventions addressing the provider retention crisis in primary healthcare. Canadian Association of Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR), Ottawa, Canada

Ashcroft R, Adamson K, Sheffield P, Phelps F, Webber G, Dallaire L-F, Kemp C, Rayner J, Lam S, Sur D (2024, May 14-16) Developing a National Vision for the Role of Social Work in Primary Care Teams across Canada. Canadian Association of Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR), Ottawa, Canada

Sheffield P, & Ashcroft, R (2024, April 18) A Qualitative Examination of Barriers and Facilitators to Primary Health Care’s Involvement in Vaccination Efforts for COVID-19: Guidance for Future Pandemics. Institute for Pandemics 2024 Interdisciplinary Symposium, Toronto, ON, CA *Winner of 2nd Place Poster Competition Award

Ashcroft, R, Lam, S, Donnelly, C, Sheffield, P, Kemp, C, Adamson, K, & Brown, J (2023, October 30-November 3) Facilitators and Challenges Shaping the Experiences of Primary Care Teams’ Engagement in COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution in Ontario, Canada: A Qualitative Study. North American Primary Care Research Group, San Francisco, California, USA 

MacNeil, M, Bayliss, L, Beleno, R, Cruickshank, C, Gombos Hill, A, Jurriaans, M, Sheffield, P Walz, M, & Ganann, R (2023, Oct 30 – Nov 3) Working with patients to co-produce visualizations comparing local and regional rates of attachment to primary care. North American Primary Care Research Group, San Francisco, California, USA

Ashcroft, R, Brown, J, Lam, S, Sur, D, Abudiab, S, Mehta, K, Sheffield, P, Rayner, J, Feryn, N (2023, Oct 30 – Nov 3) A Mixed-Methods Examination of the Role of Social Work in Primary Care Teams in Ontario, Canada. North American Primary Care Research Group, San Francisco, California, USA

Sheffield, P, Ashcroft, A, Adamson, K, Burnes, D, MacNeil, A, & Prabaharan, N (2023, May 16 to 18) An Examination of Social Work Involvement in Pain Curriculum Symposium – An Interprofessional Education Initiative. Collaborating Across Borders (CAB) VIII Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sheffield, P, Ashcroft, R, Menear, M, Dahrouge, S, Silveira, J, & Mackenzie, K (2023, January 13) Provider Wellbeing in Team-Based Primary Care: Mitigating Burnout for Mental Health Care Providers. Social of Social Work Research (SSWR) 2023 Conference Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Ashcroft, A, Brown, J, Sheffield, P, Mehta, K, Adamson, K, Lam, S, Donnelly, C (2022) A Qualitative Examination of Primary Care’s Role in the Vaccination Efforts for COVID-19. North American Primary Care Research Group, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Ashcroft, R, Donnelly, C, Sheffield, P, Adamson, K, Brown, JB, Mehta, K, & Gill, S (2022, October 12) Primary Care’s Role In COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts In Ontario. Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) 2022 Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Awards