Translating health research into improved health and a more effective and evidence-based health-care system is a cornerstone of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Real cutting edge research is tough to do. Translating research into action is even tougher. The process of moving research findings into the hands of policy makers, health- care providers, the private sector, and the public so that this knowledge can be applied is what CIHR calls knowledge translation.
One important way to foster knowledge translation involves encouraging meaningful interaction between researchers and the users of research. This interaction stretches from the initial generation of the research question right through to the dissemination of the research results. CIHR is embracing this new way of doing collaborative action-oriented research to maximize the likelihood that the findings will be put into practice and make a difference by improving the health of Canadians and the health-care system.
The following provide some examples of CIHR's approaches to moving research into action.
In 2005, CIHR (principally through its Institute of Health Services and Policy Research) worked in partnership with the Provincial/Territorial Deputy Ministers of Health, to fund syntheses of research evidence to assist in meeting provincial commitments outlined in the Ten-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care. Specifically, these commitments included establishing evidence-based benchmarks for acceptable wait times. Eight teams delivered a synthesis of the world's best research evidence related to a number of key priority areas (for hip and knee replacement, cataract surgery and some forms of cancer). Their work formed key input into the landmark announcement on December 12, 2005 in which the provinces agreed to national wait time benchmarks.
Last December, CIHR in partnership with the Alberta Cancer Board, British Columbia Cancer Agency, CancerCare Manitoba, Cancer Care Nova Scotia, Cancer Care Ontario, Direction de la lutte contre le cancer du Québec, Health Canada, National Cancer Institute of Canada, New Brunswick Cancer Network, and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency launched a funding competition for teams to conduct research into cancer care. This research will provide the evidence that will lead directly to improved access to quality cancer care, from prevention to palliation. This program provides an ideal environment for the formation of collaborative research teams involving researchers, health-care professionals, health system managers and policy makers. The strong support of Canada's provincial cancer agencies will encourage applications directly linked to provincial priorities and create inter-provincial networking opportunities in the future that will provide equitable and timely access to health care for all Canadians.
Earlier this year, CIHR funded a $4.3 million team grant led by Dr. Patrick McGrath of Dalhousie University and Dr. Charles Cunningham of McMaster University to improve access to health care for children struggling with mental health disorders. The team grant joins two internationally reputed groups from Hamilton and Halifax and an exceptionally strong set of partners in a research program that is designed to change the way children's mental health waiting lists are managed across Canada. This project will provide the evidence base that is tailored and responsive to the needs of families and the health-care system. The research team's goal is to revolutionize the system and significantly increase cost effective, evidence-based mental health services to children.
The Clinical Research Initiative (CRI) is a pan-Canadian proposal that CIHR has recently launched in partnership with the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and others to strengthen clinical research in Canada in order to rapidly transform research discoveries into improved and cost-effective approaches to health care, and to generate evidence for sound health policies and an efficient health-care system. The CRI will train as well as sustain the next generation of clinician-researchers, create nationally networked clinical research centres, develop a solid ethical and regulatory clinical research environment, and increase clinical research projects.
One last example of our strong emphasis on knowledge translation is the Proof of Principle program which was created to provide one year funding to enable researchers who have made important research discoveries with market potential to add further commercial value to their discoveries before seeking private capital. The program thus partially bridges the funding gap between publicly-funded research and the stage where the private sector is willing to invest.
Canadian researchers are doing an exceptional job making discoveries and generating new knowledge that has the potential to improve the health of Canadians and strengthen Canada's health-care system and economy. But unless this knowledge is actually put into action, these benefits will not be realized. To ensure that this new knowledge is having the impact that it should, CIHR has developed a suite of new strategies to drive research into action. If Canada is to have a health-care system that is both effective and affordable and able to cope with the increasing demands of a rapidly aging population, expensive new technologies and drugs, we urgently need the best research evidence and to use it!
