Nisanthini (Nisha) Ravichandiran

Current academic appointment/faculty rank: Lecturer

Affiliations:  

• Family Physician - Scarborough Health Network

• Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto 

Research summary:  

My research focuses on improving equity, access, and integration in primary care, particularly for immigrants and linguistically diverse communities. Drawing on my experience as a family physician in Scarborough, I examine how language barriers, immigration experiences, and health-system structures shape patients’ access to and experiences of care. My current work includes a scoping review of immigrants’ primary care needs in Canada, a card study evaluating physician-perceived integration between primary care and other health sectors, and qualitative research exploring how family physicians navigate language-discordant encounters. I am also investigating the potential role of artificial intelligence–enabled translation tools, with attention to patient safety, privacy, trust, bias, and equitable implementation. Future work will examine approaches to matching unattached patients with primary care based on factors such as language, geography, and clinical complexity. Across this program, I use mixed methods, implementation science, and integrated knowledge translation to develop practical, equity-centred solutions that strengthen communication, care coordination, and health-system integration for underserved populations.