Future areas of focus for patient-oriented research

Introduction

Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), created by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in 2011, is about moving scientific discoveries to the bedside and producing the information that decision-makers and health professionals need to improve care. SPOR is a national coalition of federal, provincial and territorial partners, patients and informal caregivers, health authorities, researchers, health professionals, Indigenous communities (i.e., First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and/or Urban Indigenous communities), academic health centres, charities, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and others dedicated to the integration of research into care.

Patient-oriented research, which is foundational to evidence-informed health care, refers to a continuum of research that engages patients, health professionals, decision-makers, researchers and other knowledge users and communities as partners: from initial studies in humans to comparative effectiveness and outcomes research, to the integration of research results into clinical practice and health systems.

The vision for SPOR is to improve health outcomes and enhance the patient experience through the integration of evidence at all levels of health systems in Canada by adhering to the following guiding principles:

• Patients involved in all aspects of research
• Decision-makers/clinicians involved to support integration into policy/practice
• 1:1 matching funding formula with non-federal funding partners
• A trans-disciplinary approach
• Performance measurement/evaluation as integral components

SPOR will contribute to the achievement of the CIHR Strategic Plan 2021-2031, including:

• Priority A: Advance Research Excellence in All Its Diversity
• Priority B: Strengthen Canadian Health Research Capacity
• Priority C: Accelerate the Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples in Health Research
• Priority D: Pursue Health Equity through Research
• Priority E: Integrate Evidence in Health Decisions

This strategic plan was informed by stakeholder engagement activities on the future of health research in Canada. A summary of the results, including recommended strategic priority areas, is available on the CIHR website. To support the continued implementation of SPOR, CIHR recognizes the critical need to engage a broad range of stakeholders to inform decision-making regarding areas of focus and priority for future funding opportunities in patient-oriented research. This online forum is one mechanism for gathering input from stakeholders.

Who we’re Inviting

CIHR is pleased to host this open dialogue with those who are, or who wish to be, engaged in patient-oriented research to identify and discuss areas of focus and priority over the next five years. We encourage you to share this consultation broadly with your colleagues, collaborators and networks. If you would like to participate in the consultation but are not able to access the online platform, we would be pleased to facilitate the completion of the survey by phone or mail. Please contact SPORConsultationSRAP@cihr-irsc.gc.ca or call 1-888-603-4178 (toll free) (press 1).

How it Works

Participants will be invited to provide input in two stages:

• Step 1 (Aug 9-Sept 17): In the Survey tab you are invited to respond to a series of questions about recommended research priorities.
• Step 2 (Oct 12-29): In the Ideas tab, you are invited to vote on common research priorities identified through the survey. In the Forum tab, we invite you to ask/answer questions, share thoughts and chat with other participants on this topic.

Next Steps

Following this online survey/dialogue, CIHR will host virtual discussions in the Winter of 2022 to further refine the priorities identified through this interactive platform and other stakeholder engagement activities. We will share a “What We Heard” report summarizing the results by early 2022. If you would like to be considered as a participant, please indicate your interest by completing this online registration form. We will endeavor to be inclusive and equitable by engaging participants who reflect the diversity of the Canadian community.