Backgrounder: A Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research

[ Press Release 2011-24 ]

CIHR's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research

Research focused on patients is the cornerstone of excellent health care. Health care professionals and policy makers need evidence to deliver high-quality, appropriate, timely and effective care.

CIHR's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research is a new national research strategy that puts patients first. The strategy reflects a commitment to deliver high quality care in Canada, and make changes that truly improve our healthcare system. It aims to strengthen support for clinical studies in Canada and improve the translation of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the bedside.

The strategy was created after extensive consultation with national and international partners, and will be a true partnership with provincial and territorial governments, as well as non-governmental organizations. It will bring together a vast coalition of clinical researchers and stakeholders to help the provinces and territories meet the challenge of delivering high quality, cost-effective health care.

Goals

• To grow Canada's capacity to attract, train, and mentor health-care professionals and health researchers, as well as to create sustainable career paths in patient-oriented research.
• To establish an integrated, leading-edge pan-Canadian clinical research infrastructure along the full continuum of patient-oriented research.
• To strengthen organizational, regulatory and financial support for clinical studies in Canada and enhance patient and clinician engagement in these studies.
• To improve processes for the early identification of best practices, expedite their development and harmonization into guidelines for patient care and support their adoption by clinicians, care-givers and patients.
• To create a collaborative, pan-Canadian process for identifying, establishing and addressing patient-oriented research priorities.

National Steering Committee

A National Steering Committee for the Coalition on the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research has been formed and is comprised of representatives from major stakeholders from public (federal and provincial) and private sectors. The Committee's role is to implement the Strategy and encourage collective engagement and ownership. The inaugural meeting is planned for October 3, 2011. The National Steering Committee will be co-chaired by Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of CIHR and Dr. Robert Bell, President and CEO of the University Health Network, Toronto. The full committee will be announced when it is finalized.