I am delighted to report that the process of transitioning the Institute to a new institutional home under the leadership of a second Scientific Director reached an important milestone on April 27, when it was my great pleasure, during the meeting of voluntary health organizations described in this newsletter, to announce the appointment (effective September 1, 2006) of Professor Colleen Flood, from the University of Toronto.
Currently Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, at the University of Toronto, Colleen holds a Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy. Her primary areas of scholarship are in comparative health care policy, public/private financing of health care systems, health care reform and broader accountability and governance issues. She has been consulted on comparative health policy and governance issues by both the Senate Social Affairs Committee studying health care in Canada and the Romanow Commission.
Colleen was the 1999 McMaster University Labelle Lecturer in Health Services Research and is the author of numerous health law articles and book chapters, as well as the author of International Health Care Reform: A Legal, Economic and Political Analysis. Most recently, in the wake of the Supreme Court's Chaoulli decision, Colleen co-edited Access to Care, Access to Justice: The Legal Debate over Private Health Insurance in Canada, which could (if such a category existed) have set a new Guinness World Record for the shortest period between event and publication of proceedings. She has been widely sought out as an expert commentator on the Chaoulli case. I know you will all join me in welcoming Colleen to the Institute, and to CIHR, and will provide to her the same support and guidance that I have found so indispensable over the past 5+ years. The CIHR news release regarding Colleen's appointment is available on the Website.
As I write this, the official Institute transition date is about four months away and, as might be expected, Institute staff are doubly preoccupied, with ensuring business as usual, while also working diligently to ensure a seamless transition and smooth start-up for Colleen and her Institute team. More information about the Institute transition is available on our website.
This newsletter includes a profile of the Atlantic Regional Training Centre, one of five regional training centres supported by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) and CIHR through the CADRE program, and information on both new funding opportunities and results from recent competitions. We have also taken the opportunity to highlight the Research Resource Grant Program, a relatively new standing CIHR competition designed to provide support for research-enabling environments. The first successful applicants were announced earlier this year.
As always, we welcome your comments on our newsletter, particularly suggestions about news items that readers would find useful and interesting.
Morris Barer
Scientific Director
Check out our website this month for new funding opportunities, including priority announcements for operating grants and career awards, and a new RFA to support access to care initiatives.
Visit the IHSPR website.
RFA: Scoping Reviews and Research Syntheses: Priority Health Services and System Issues
CIHR's Institutes of Health Services and Policy Research, Population and Public Health, Aboriginal Peoples' Health, Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis and the Knowledge Translation Branch recently funded eleven projects to support health services and policy research scoping reviews or research syntheses in thematic areas identified as high priority in recent national consultations.
For a complete list of funded applications, please visit the website.
RFA: Research Syntheses
CIHR's Knowledge Translation Branch, and the Institutes of Health Services and Policy Research, Population and Public Health and Genetics recently funded eight projects under the Research Syntheses strategic initiative. This initiative is designed to make scoping reviews available to the health research community to inform them of specific areas of priority for primary research; increase the number of timely and relevant scoping reviews and systematic reviews in high priority areas; and increase the communication and knowledge translation activities to make the results of scoping and systematic reviews readily available for use in decision making.
For a complete list of funded applications, please visit the website.
IHSPR's tri-annual Research Community Development Funding Program was developed to support health services and policy research initiatives that contribute to the goals and objectives outlined in our strategic plan.
We are pleased to announce the following successful applicants to the February 2006 round of the program:
| Project Title | Principal Investigator | Research Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Care Networks Environmental Scan | CAVE, Andrew | University of Alberta |
| Migration and Reproductive Health Research Program Symposium | GAGNON, Anita | McGill University |
| Timely Access to Quality Prenatal Care for Canadian Women: Implementing a Research Agenda in Prenatal Care | HEAMAN, Maureen | University of Manitoba |
| Linking Public Health to Health Services: Designing, Implementing and Evaluating New Models of Community-based Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Integrated with Primary Care | KACZOROWSKI, Janusz | McMaster University |
| Shaping the Future of Health Innovation Research in Canada: A Workshop Bringing Together Researchers, Designers and Users of Health Technology | LEHOUX, Pascale | Université de Montréal |
| Child Abuse Research Ethics Consensus Symposium | LEVIN, Alex | The Hospital for Sick Children |
| Workshop on the Occurrence of Adverse Events Experienced by Patients as they Transition into and out of Homecare and Acute Care Settings | MASOTTI, Paul | Queen's University |
| Towards a Strategy for Pharmaceutical Use in Manitoba | METGE, Colleen | University of Manitoba |
| Community Programs and Evaluative Innovations: Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination Workshop | RIDDE, Valéry | Université de Montréal |
| Development of Natural Health Products for Cancer Patients: From Laboratory through Clinical Trials and Government Regulations | SAGAR, Stephen | Juravinski Cancer Centre |
| TUTOR-PHC Alumni Knowledge Translation and Networking Symposium | STEWART, Moira | University of Western Ontario |
| Benchmarking Health System Performance in the Netherlands with Ontario, Canada: A Feasibility Study | TAWFIK, Ali | University of Amsterdam |
| Access Forum: From Populous to Policy | WILJER, David | Princess Margaret Hospital |
IHSPR is currently undertaking an evaluation of this funding tool and will not run a June 2006 competition. Check the IHSPR website for more information about this program in September 2006.
Over the next two years, CIHR intends to continue to simplify and streamline its funding portfolio while retaining sufficient flexibility to accommodate all desirable aspects of collaborative research. The Research Resource Grant Program, which was launched in June 2005, consolidates a number of discontinued programs designed to support research equipment, facilities and maintenance, and puts an emphasis on support for research-enabling environments.
Successful applicants to the inaugural competition of the Research Resource Grant Program were announced earlier this year. The program provides funding for core research resources, including activities particularly relevant to the health services and policy research community, such as the development, enhancement, linkage or securing of databases, and the development or refinement of research tools (including conceptual frameworks, theories, measurement tools or empirical methods).
One successful grant will be used to support a much-needed update to the research data infrastructure at the Population Health Research Unit (PHRU), in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. The PHRU maintains provincial administrative health databases, clinical databases and survey data that are instrumental to the conduct of a wide array of peer-reviewed research in Atlantic Canada. Continuing enrichment of the databases and growing demand on the resource has meant that the computing infrastructure must be upgraded to serve the needs of researchers.
The PHRU supports more than 35 research projects each year, and is also integral to the research program of two CIHR investigators, a Canada Research Chair in Population Health, a CHSRF/CIHR Chair in Health Services Research and many graduate students in health services-related disciplines. The funding will allow PHRU to provide timely support to existing and new researchers, enhance collaborative work and generate new research knowledge.
For a complete list of funded applications in this competition, visit the website. CIHR plans to launch the second annual Research Resource Grant competition in June 2006. For more information, visit the website.
The Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC) is a ground-breaking partnership between four universities in Atlantic Canada: the University of New Brunswick, Dalhousie University, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Prince Edward Island.
ARTC is one of several regional training centres funded by CHSRF and CIHR through the CADRE program. The centre, in partnership with provincial governments, professional and health care organizations, has an overall mission of building capacity in applied health services research.
ARTC began with a shared vision to address the shortage of appropriately trained researchers in the Atlantic region. This was perceived to be a key obstacle to the use of research to inform public policy development and decision making. From the outset, decision makers were recruited to participate in program workshops, to provide sites for student residencies, and most importantly, to provide counsel and guidance as the program developed and evolved.
The centre offers a master's degree through a two-year thesis-based program, and has recently introduced a doctoral stream. The course caters to students from a variety of disciplines, including those with little background in health care or research. Internet-based courses are supplemented with face-to-face workshops and a "real world" decision-making residency in health services.
The first six students began their studies in September 2002 and ARTC graduates have already begun to assume roles in decision-making structures throughout Atlantic Canada. Amy Lewis, who graduated in May 2005, has been working for the past year in the newly developed Cancer Outcomes Research program at Cancer Care Nova Scotia. "The ARTC program was a great experience. It provided me with the education that I needed to strengthen existing skills and also develop new skills in the field of applied health research," said Ms Lewis.
Health system decision makers place a high value on the ARTC. They view it not only as a contributor of skilled graduates as employees, but also as a potential source of reliable expertise in applied health services research.
The first review of the ARTC, which was completed in 2005, recommended its unconditional renewal. As the reviewers observed, "The ARTC is an extraordinary accomplishment which can serve as a model of interprovincial collaboration, not only in higher education, but in other fields as well."
For more information, visit the ARTC website at: www.artc-hsr.ca/.
As part of its efforts to explore and build stronger links with voluntary health organizations (VHOs), IHSPR, in collaboration with CHSRF, the Health Charities Coalition of Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation and Safe Kids Canada, hosted a timely and important workshop in Ottawa on April 26-27, 2006.
The workshop, titled A Productive Conversation, brought together approximately 50 participants, including leaders of voluntary health organizations, researchers in health services and policy research and representatives from organizations that support health research, knowledge translation and capacity building (e.g. CIHR, CHSRF, provincial health research foundations). The purpose was to explore ways in which VHOs could begin identifying key health services and policy research priority issues within their interest areas; build mutual understanding between researchers, supporters of research, capacity-building and knowledge translation/exchange, and VHOs, of each other's work and the opportunities for future collaboration; and explore successes and best practices, particularly involving already existing collaborations between health services researchers and VHOs.
The workshop was facilitated by Suzanne Lawson, former National Executive Director of the ALS Society of Canada and a member of the IHSPR Advisory Board. Morris Barer, IHSPR's Scientific Director, and Jonathan Lomas, CEO of CHSRF, began the workshop's conversations by discussing the work of their respective organizations, particularly the process through which priority areas for support by the two organizations were established, and the challenges of knowledge translation. The following day's events included presentations of a number of case studies, panel presentations from VHO leaders and researchers and small group discussions to brainstorm ways to improve linkage and exchange between the participants.
The workshop planning partners are now working on an action plan to address key messages and outcomes.
The launch of EVIPNet (Evidence-Informed Policy Network) Africa took place in Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, in March of this year. EVIPNet is a network of countries that will work to improve health and reduce health inequities by increasing policy makers' and health system managers' access to and use of high quality research evidence.
The concept for EVIPNet was developed in response to one of the resolutions from the WHO Ministerial Summit on Health Research in Mexico City in November 2004. The resolution called for "establishing or strengthening mechanisms to transfer knowledge in support of evidence-based public health and health care delivery systems and evidence-based related policies." EVIPNet Asia was launched in June 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and currently includes seven member jurisdictions in the region.
The purpose of the March meeting was to introduce invited countries from WHO's African region to the network concept and to give them the opportunity to submit an application to become a member. It was also designed to discuss expectations, ideas and strategies for the planning and implementation phases of the network.
The meeting brought together senior health policy makers and researchers from eight countries: Angola, Burkino Faso, Centrafrique, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Niger and Zambia. Several resource persons with experience in research-to-policy issues were in attendance, including John Lavis, IHSPR Advisory Board member. According to Dr Lavis, the meeting ably achieved its primary objectives of introducing African countries to the EVIPNet concept and the steps involved in becoming a member of EVIPNet Africa.
The WHO-Canada Dialogue on Global Health Research in November 2005, which aimed to explore and address Canada's role in contributing to key areas identified in the Mexico Statement, also recognized the need to strengthen and learn from initiatives such as EVIPNet in Asia and Africa. For more information on the WHO-Canada Dialogue and other global health research initiatives, visit the Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research website at www.ccghr.ca/. More information on knowledge translation in global health is also available on the WHO website at www.who.int/kms/en/.
The Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) Annual Conference will take place from September 17-19, 2006, in Vancouver. The theme of this year's conference is "Insight, Interaction and Innovation: New Approaches to Health Services Research, Policy and Management." For more information, visit www.cahspr.ca/conference/index.html.
As part of the conference, CHSRF will hold a Primary Healthcare Network Symposium, Sustaining Primary Healthcare Renewal, on September 19-20, 2006, in Vancouver. For more information, visit www.chsrf.ca/research_themes/ph_e.php.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information and Statistics Canada will also host the Data Users Conference 2006: Quality Health Data for Effective Decision-Making, on September 17, 2006, in Vancouver. For more information, visit www.datausers.ca/ or email conferences@cihi.ca.
IHSPR 2004-05 Annual Report
IHSPR's 2004-05 Annual Report is now available on the IHSPR website.
Knowledge translation casebooks
CIHR's first two knowledge translation casebooks: Moving Population and Public Health Knowledge into Action by the Institute of Population and Public Health and the Canadian Population Health Initiative, and Evidence in Action, Acting on Evidence by the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, were published earlier this year and are now available online. Visit the IHSPR website for more information and links to both casebooks.
Mental Health Research Spotlight
IHSPR's latest Research Spotlight, on mental health, is now available on the IHSPR website. In this issue, Paula Goering tells us why we should be optimistic about the future of mental health and addictions services research in Canada, and Alain Lesage interviews Ronald Gravel about the first national survey on mental health and well being. We also highlight research that is helping mentally ill individuals find employment, improving dementia care in rural and remote areas and easing the hospital to community transition for psychiatric care.
IHSPR's Research Spotlights showcase CIHR-funded research in priority thematic areas. Our previous Spotlights have focused on global health, health human resources and wait times and are also available from our website.
CIHR is always looking for opportunities to promote the work of the health services research community and to highlight advances in health services research. CIHR can also assist researchers highlight research findings through extensive media and other audience networks. If you have a story to tell about the results and benefits of your CIHR-funded research, please contact Heidi Matkovich at 604-222-6870 or hmatkovich@ihspr.ubc.ca.
