Simon Lafrance

Ph.D. (doctor), Pht. (physiotherapist), Regular member

Expertise
Physiotherapy

Principal Interest
Epidemiology and pain trajectories

Secondary Interest
Rehabilitation

Primary Affiliation

Université de Montréal

Secondary Affiliation
Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

Biography

Simon Lafrance, PT, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal and a researcher at the CHUM Research Centre (as of November 1, 2026). His work focuses on musculoskeletal disorders, specifically on care organization, the improvement of professional practices, and health economics. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in health economics at Université Laval and has published extensively on advanced practice physiotherapy. Actively involved in his professional community, he sits on the board of directors of the AQP and serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT). Alongside his research activities, he practises as a clinician in a correctional setting.

How does your current work contribute to improve treatment or understanding of pain?

By examining the various care pathways and interventions, we assess whether alternative and innovative approaches could improve the quality of care provided to the public. One such approach involves assigning expanded roles and responsibilities within the public healthcare system to physical therapists, who have recognized expertise in managing musculoskeletal disorders.The inclusion of economic evaluations helps determine whether these new approaches are also cost-effective—in other words, whether Quebec taxpayers are getting their money’s worth—and optimizes the use of resources to provide the best and most equitable services possible to the entire population.