Bulletin of the Alliance's Learning Health System |
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Register Now
for our 2024 Conference
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Alliance Research Update: Decision Support AI Tool |
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Guest Article:
Caring for Caregivers
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Guest Article:
Knowledge Co-creation
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Get Involved: Research & Sharing |
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Learning Events & Programs |
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Co-designing the Future of Primary Health Care Register Now for our 2024 Conference
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Registration is now open for the Alliance’s 2024 conference, Co-Designing the Future of Primary Health Care. We look forward to welcoming you in Richmond Hill on June 5 and 6.
This year’s conference program is an expression of our commitment to working collaboratively with all of our stakeholders as we build and strengthen the foundation of our health system. Together, we’ll look with clear eyes at the challenges and opportunities of the present, learn from the lessons of the past, and prepare bravely for what lies ahead. We’ll consider the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and how to ensure that it is used as a tool for equity; we’ll grapple with the inequitable health impacts of climate change and how we can mitigate them; and we’ll explore the power of community to lead change and create truly integrated systems of care.
This two-day event will include a diverse array of formats and spaces, including:
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4 plenary sessions, featuring two expert panels and two inspiring keynote addresses.
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29 concurrent learning sessions showcasing research and innovations ready for scale and spread.
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Poster hall with 12 posters and opportunities to meet with the poster presenters.
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Exhibit booths for networking with vendors and system partners.
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Transformative Change Awards gala dinner and dance.
29 Diverse Learning Sessions
Developing the learning-session program is one of the most exciting parts of the conference planning process. Khalid Elmouloudi, the Alliance’s Communications and Events Coordinator, reports that there were over 80 responses to our call for proposals this year – the largest response we’ve ever received. “We were delighted to receive so many high-quality learning-session proposals this year. It shows that people are really eager to share knowledge. Of course, choosing just enough to fit into a two-day event was a challenge for our reviewers and our planning committee.”
Rising to this challenge, the team created a program of 29 concurrent learning sessions, including 4 panels, 17 skill-building workshops, 4 governance sessions for board directors, and 4 spotlight sessions. These sessions cover a diverse array of topics, including harm-reduction approaches to chemsex, tools for addressing disproportionate suspensions and expulsions of Black students, co-design of an AI-powered decision support tool, the value of lived-experience expertise for healthcare planning, and how learning legal skills can improve health outcomes.
Interactive Poster Display, Exhibit Hall, and More
This year also promises to have a more robust poster session than ever before, with 12 peer-reviewed and curated posters on topics including Indigenous-led quality improvement, cultivating psychological safety in a healthcare workplace, experiences of young Black mothers, and designing equity-oriented professional guidance for oral health care providers. Poster presenters will be present at the display during dedicated exhibit breaks, so you’ll have a chance to chat with them about their work while you sip a delicious mocktail.
The conference will be held at our usual venue – the Sheraton Parkway in Richmond Hill, just north of Toronto. In addition to a grand plenary space and cozy meeting rooms for learning sessions, this venue features a light-drenched foyer for our exhibitor booths, and we’ll have dedicated rooms set aside for silent meditation, relaxation, and conversation. "The conference is a great opportunity for people to come together, not just to learn and exchange knowledge, but also to reflect, to reunite, to make new connections, and to create community together," says Marie-Lauren Gregoire Drummond, the Alliance's Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations. "I love the energy we create when we get together in person. It was amazing last year, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing it again this year!"
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If you are interested in participating as a sponsor or exhibitor, or simply want to learn more about this year’s conference, please reach out!
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Alliance Research Update:
Developing an AI-Powered Decision Support Tool
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The EPIC Practice-Based Learning Network (PBLN) was launched in 2020 as an opportunity for health care providers to apply their curiosity to shared problems. PBLN members, working with Alliance staff and other researchers, to undertake practical research using our sector’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data.
For their first project, they’re working with Dr. Jaky Kueper, a researcher at Western University, to develop an AI-powered decision support tool for use in Community Health Centres across Ontario. Phase One of this project has just been completed.
The Dataset
Most Alliance member organizations use the same EMR, TELUS PS Suite. Data from this EMR is collected by our Business Intelligence Reporting Tool (BIRT). Originally developed to support our members in the areas of accountability reporting to funders, BIRT has become a vast repository of clinical and sociodemographic data. It holds the stories of our members’ clients and their health journeys. It also describes health at the population level, revealing systemic inequities and identifying areas with particular needs and challenges. Data-sharing agreements with ICES allow anonymized client data from BIRT to be linked to administrative data from other parts of the health system, so we can see the impact of our members’ work on rates of hospitalization, emergency department visits and cancer screening.
Over time, the size of this dataset has grown to include data on hundreds of thousands of clients and community members and millions of encounters. It has enormous potential to drive quality improvement and help health care providers and teams tailor their programs and services to the communities they serve. However, harnessing this potential is a daunting project. Research scientists using traditional analytical methods are only able to scratch the surface, so new methods and technologies are essential.
The Story So Far
“Members of the EPIC PBLN have told us that there is a need for decision-support tools that would help them understand the clinical and social complexity of their client populations as well as their risk profiles,” explains Sara Bhatti, Research and Evaluation Lead at the Alliance, “this would enable them to strategically develop evidence-based programs to support health and wellbeing in their communities. It would also help them direct individual clients to the programs and services that are most appropriate for mitigating those risks.”
The first step was to create a descriptive profile of the Alliance’s EMR data and the client populations reflected in it. Using a combination of traditional statistical methods and unsupervised machine learning, they were able to identify patterns of multimorbidity and social determinants of health that may increase the risk of poor health outcomes. The findings were published in the International Journal of Population Data Science and shared with Alliance members at a lunch ‘n’ learn webinar.
Based on the epidemiological description generated by the first step, the PBLN narrowed their focus to three types of decision support: predicting risk/screening, prioritizing the implementation of special programs, and identifying barriers to accessing care. The PBLN decided to explore each of these in turn, beginning with risk prediction for multimorbidity, specifically identifying the risk of mental health challenges after a diagnosis of diabetes. Starting with individual-level risk predictions, the project identified that many people newly diagnosed with diabetes would benefit from early interventions to support mental wellness.
Providing mental health interventions at the point of each client’s diabetes diagnosis could overwhelm the health system’s already stretched mental health care capacity, so the members of the PBLN decided to explore a more “upstream” approach, building a tool that can model multimorbidity risk and service usage at the population level. This, in turn, will provide evidence-informed predictions that can be used to support health care planning and advocacy. So far, a feasibility study has been completed, using an AI-powered “sandbox” model demonstrating the potential value and validity of such a tool.
The Way Forward
In the next phase of this project, the research team will move the risk-prediction tool from a model to reality, using updated data and more input from health care providers. This will be followed by iterative testing and improvement. However, the completion of this tool will be in many ways the beginning of a much larger program of AI research in our sector. As Dr. Jennifer Rayner, the Alliance’s Director of Research and Policy notes, “This project lays a baseline for decision-support tool development that future initiatives will build on.” She also points out that it advances the Learning Health System in other ways. “Projects like this one create a new path for providers and staff in our sector to really get engaged with learning and research."
Most importantly, she says, this can contribute to better health outcomes. “As we develop this and other AI tools, we’ll see a greater capacity for data analysis and meaning-finding that can in turn support quality improvement, advocacy, planning, and personalized health care. The ultimate goal of this project is to help providers identify risk and ensure that people can access the care they need."
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Caring for Caregivers
Well-Supported Caregivers Contribute to Better Health Outcomes
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This is a guest article contributed by Mariam Zohouri and Shrid Dhungel at the Ontario Caregiver Organization. |
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Supporting family members, partners, friends or neighbours with physical and/or mental health needs, caregivers enhance care delivery and improve health outcomes for patients. This benefits not only the people in their care, but our healthcare system overall. According to a 2019 paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, caregivers in Canada provide $24-31 billion in unpaid labour every year. These caregiver profiles combine data and lived-experience stories to showcase the nature and quantity of work done by caregivers.
Despite providing 75% of the care in our health system, caregivers are struggling to get by.
The burden of this unpaid labour takes a heavy toll. Research shows that many caregivers experience isolation, depression, and financial stress. Compared with their non-caregiving counterparts, caregivers are 16% more likely to live with 2 or more long-term health conditions. However, because our system focuses on patient care, caregivers who seek support for their own well-being are often unable to find or access it, leading to further burnout.
Caregiver burnout has consequences for everyone. It leads to increased hospital use, a greater need for in-home patient services, negative impacts on patient health outcomes, and premature long-term care placement. Conversely, well-supported family caregivers contribute to better patient health outcomes.
A report by the Action Table on Family Caregivers (a pan-Canadian report on the state of caregivers) highlights four opportunity areas where providers can meaningfully support family caregivers: raising awareness underscoring the importance of the contribution of family caregivers, improving access to resources and supports, creating more flexible workplaces that support caregiving realities, and adapting government policies towards more caregiver-friendly models.
With relief, caregivers gain resilience.
This is where primary care providers come in. Through meaningful conversations, they can help caregivers feel included, engaged, and heard, while connecting them to the services and support they need to continue caregiving (and reduce the risk of becoming a patient themselves). “Caregivers have told us how challenging it can be to find information and support.” says Amy Coupal, CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO). “Providers are uniquely positioned to meaningfully connect caregivers with the support they need.”
One key way providers can help support caregivers is by connecting them to the OCO. The OCO exists to support caregivers throughout Ontario by connecting them to help, amplifying their voices, and co-creating solutions with them. A key resource available to service providers and caregivers alike is the OCO Helpline (1-833-416-2273 (CARE)), a confidential, 24/7 service which connects caregivers to support wherever they are in Ontario, regardless of their age or medical diagnosis. The helpline is available in English and French and has interpretation services available in 150 languages.
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Reimagining Presentations:
Co-Creating Knowledge with Community Partners
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This is a guest article by Erick M. Carreras, a Health Promoter currently working in Mexico City. The reflections he shares here came from his time working with Fraser Health in small communities in southern British Columbia. |
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While working on a Planetary Health project in the Fraser Valley, engaging communities in conversations about extreme heat events and wildfire smoke, I began questioning the word “presentation” and the concepts connected to it. How could we shift away from this word and its hierarchical implications, and what could we replace it with that would better reflect the kind of shared learning and collaborative solution-finding we were trying to engage in with communities? My answer: knowledge co-creation sessions.
What’s in a word?
The word presentation denotes a one-way transfer of knowledge and an assumption that the presenter is the expert in the room while the audience members are passive recipients of their knowledge. It creates a hierarchy in which the expert holds a position of prestige. If not everything we call a “presentation” is accurately described this way, perhaps our use of the word reflects a lack of intentionality about the kind of environment we are striving to create: inclusive, equitable, safe; a place where we build knowledge together.
I emphasize this desire for building knowledge together because it’s essential to developing and advancing sustainable and positive health behavioural solutions in a community context. In a knowledge co-creation session, those in the traditional “presenter” role are framed as knowledge-holders of content, and, those in the traditional “audience” role are framed as knowledge-holders of context.
Of course, content knowledge and context knowledge are not mutually exclusive categories, and there is often overlap between the two groups of knowledge-holders. This leads us to how using the term knowledge co-creation session goes beyond word choice and establishes a distinct social structure and process. Knowledge co-creation sessions are intentionally non-hierarchical. By inviting people with diverse perspectives to share knowledge reciprocally and build new knowledge together, these sessions have the potential to help promote equity, inclusivity, and diversity, and they create a safe and judgement-free learning environment.
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Putting words into action: The co-creation session
To reframe our presentations as knowledge co-creation sessions, we began by sharing an image that depicted a puzzle with four pieces:
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- Me and my colleague, two people who know some things about planetary health;
- The Planetary Health Team, a group of people who know even more about the topic;
- The community members in attendance, who know a great deal about the local context and culture, including current planetary health practices, resources, social norms, and expectations;
- Our hosts for the session, whose hospitality makes the co-creation session possible, and who are welcome to participate as additional knowledge-holders
As we shared this slide, we would describe our goals for the session:
We [the “presenters”] know some things, and you know some things. We are not experts. We do know quite a bit about the topics we will be discussing today, but we are always open to learning more, so we invite and encourage your input. Similarly, you know a lot of things about your community. I am excited to learn from you, and I hope you are excited to learn from me, as we work together to find creative and sustainable responses to extreme heat events and forest fire smoke in our shared community. By putting our knowledge together, we will build a puzzle that hosts health knowledge and practices, leading to outcomes greater than the sum of its parts.
Throughout the session, as community members contributed knowledge, we would take note of things that required additional investigation, or that the community had asked us to investigate further. Following up established an ongoing dialogue with the community and good post-session practices. Unlike a presentation, knowledge co-creation cannot be as simple as “helicoptering” into a community, dropping information, and leaving. In fact, such an approach can harm communities by increasing anxiety and uncertainty. Co-creation requires establishing an ongoing relationship, partnering with the community to continually and progressively advance public health practices over time, and eventually, even generations.
Final thoughts and call to action
My call to action now is to try and use this phrasal noun where appropriate in your practice as a health care provider, health promoter, community developer, policy maker, researcher, or organizational leader. We all have a role to play, so let’s play!
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Erick M. Carreras, BSc, MSc is a global health specialist. Erick’s work includes neurosurgical research, health promotion work in the Peruvian Amazon; social programs by and for urban Indigenous people in present day Ontario, Canada; education in Japan; and promoting wellness in rural BC. Currently he lives and works in Mexico City.
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Funding Opportunities
Health Workforce Innovation Challenge
Join before April 24
Earn funds for your organization while testing new ideas and solutions for retaining and supporting your workforce! Healthcare Excellence Canada is offering a 12-month Open Innovation Challenge, and participating teams can earn up to $112,000 to develop and implement their ideas. The sooner you join, the more you can earn! All participants will be supported through peer networking, expert coaching, and learning events. Learn more here and here.
Tools for Improvement and Highest-Quality Care
New Quality Standard on Hypertension
Ontario Health has released a Hypertension quality standard. Hypertension is the most common modifiable risk factor for death or disability, and two-thirds of people in Ontario aged 65 years and older had a diagnosis of hypertension in 2021. Ontario data show that to improve patient outcomes, better care is needed for people with hypertension. The quality standard describes seven key opportunities to improve care. Accompanying materials include a patient guide with helpful resources, a placemat for clinicians, and technical specifications for indicators to support implementation. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Partners In Care
Quarterly eBulletin from the Ontario Caregiver Organization
Partners In Care is a resource for healthcare and service providers, as well as anyone who may be working with caregivers. It provides information, resources, and tools to support providers in recognizing and including caregivers. Read about caregiver initiatives and hear about opportunities for providers to engage with caregivers. Subscribe here.
Recommendations for seeking funding for air quality improvements
Provided by the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions
Our partners at the MAP Centre have put together this partial list of potential funding sources to support air quality improvements in community spaces. These include government funding, charitable funding, and low-interest loans. To book a free consultation session with an indoor air quality expert, email Pearl Buhariwala.
Podcast: Mind the Disruption
National Collaborating Centre for the Determinants of Health
Season 2 of the NCCDH’s podcast Mind the Disruption is here! In the second season, we explore social movements for social justice - groups of people working together to build collective power for change. The Season 2 trailer and the first two episodes are available on the NCCDH website and a variety of streaming platforms.
Educational tools for dietitians and dietetics students/trainees in primary care
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Vegetarian Woman with Prediabetes: EN | FR
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Adolescent with Eating Disorder: EN | FR
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Diabetes and Renal Insufficiency: EN | FR
If you have any questions, please contact: Research Coordinator, Raphaëlle Laroche-Nantel at [email protected] or Dr. Isabelle Giroux at [email protected] or 613-562-5800, Ext. 8337.
In Case You Missed It
Podcast: 2SLGBTQ Health in Focus
Rainbow Health Ontario
All four episodes of this podcast are out now. They’re available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. Check out the show notes for a complete list of options. Access all episodes here.
Updated Audit & Feedback Reports for CHCs
Alliance for Healthier Communities
Several of our regular audit & feedback reports have recently been refreshed with new data and shared with Executive Leaders and other managers at CHCs in our sector.
- February 20: OHRS Benchmarking Report
- March 19: Practice Profile
- March 21: Common QIP Indicator Report
If you are the Executive Leader (EL, CEO, or similar role) at an Alliance-member CHC, and you have yet received all of these reports, or if you would like an explanation of how your data were calculated and how you can use them to drive quality improvement, please email [email protected].
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Coming Together: Celebrating the Magic of Community, Knowledge Exchange & Solidarity Building |
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The three years of federal funding to build and expand the National Safer Supply Community of Practice (NSS-CoP) have ended, but the important work of connection-building, knowledge-sharing, and stigma-busting will continue. Earlier this week, members of the NSS-CoP gathered virtually from across Canada to celebrate the successful establishment and maturation of the community and to renew their commitment to the work. Click on the image to view the graphic recording that captures key themes shared by participants. A full report will be available in April.
There is a lot to celebrate: Since its humble beginnings as a small group of prescribers sharing experiences and learnings, it has blossomed into a nation-wide community with over 1650 registered members, including pharmacists, prescribers, nurses, social care providers, advocates and activists, people who use drugs, researchers, knowledge translators, program managers and coordinators, policy makers and many others. Their in-person and virtual learning events have welcomed over 5000 participants, and their website boasts a searchable resource library with nearly 1900 resources and an evidence brief containing over 20 peer-reviewed papers that demonstrate the value of prescribed alternatives to the toxic street drug supply. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
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New in our Library
2023-24 Health Promotion Year in Review
Guelph Community Health Centre
This poster presents an overview and evaluation of community programming and social prescribing at Guelph CHC.
Primary Care Needs OurCare: Introducing the OurCare Standard
MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Unity Health Toronto
Between September 2022 and December 2023, OurCare engaged nearly 10,000 people across Canada about their experiences with primary care and their values, ideas, and hopes for the future and improvement of that care. The final report (EN | FR) calls for universal access to ongoing, culturally safe primary care from an interprofessional team; for teams to be connected to community and social services that support the upstream determinants of health; for people to have access to their health records; and for the primary care system to be accountable to the communities it serves.
Framework for a Public Health Approach to Substance Use
Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA)
This policy statement provides an overview of what CPHA endorses as a public health approach to substance use and describes the approach that CPHA will use to develop policy advocacy or programmatic work on related topics. The development of this framework was initiated by CPHA’s "Normalizing Conversations" project and informed by individuals and communities across Canada through key informant interviews and focus groups with people who use drugs, people with lived and living experience , public health practitioners, health and social service providers, and other professionals.
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Looking for more?
Consider subscribing to these newsletters to receive regular updates from Alliance system partners:
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Learning Events & Programs |
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March
Deepening Our Understanding of Anti-Oppressive Practice and Peacemaking
Monday, March 25, 12:00-1:30 PM | Webinar | Free
Essential Learning Health System Structures in Primary Care: What Are They and How Did You Implement Them?
Tuesday, March 26 | Online | Free
Presented by the Canadian Primary Care Research Network (CPCRN) as part of their 2024 learning series. Explore solutions for practice-based research and learning networks to use data to study and understand the nature of problems, and to engage with patients, caregivers, and clinicians in co-designing solutions. Jennifer Rayner, the Alliance’s Director of Research & Policy will be joined by Terrie Meehan, vice chair of the EPIC Client & Community Research Partners Committee and Mpho Begin, a patient advisor with CPCRN and other organizations. Learn more here. Register here.
Understanding the Social Prescribing Needs and Perspectives of Seniors
Wednesday, March 27, 1:00 pm | Webinar | Free
Presented by the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP). This is the third installment in CISP's Research in Focus Social Prescribing webinar series. In this session, join Dr. Kiffer G. Card, Andrea Wadman and Cindy Yu as they share their findings from a mixed method study to understand social prescribing needs and perspectives of seniors.
Hypertension: A New Quality Standard for High-Quality Care in Ontario
Thursday, March 28, 12:30 – 1:30 pm | Webinar | Free
Ontario health is about to release a new Hypertension quality standard. This webinar will introduce the new standard and highlight seven key opportunities to improve care and health outcomes for people with hypertension in Ontario. This webinar is presented by Ontario health and features a panel consisting of family physician Adam Steacie, pharmacy professor Lisa Dolovich, lived experience advisor Ravi Venkatesh. It is part of a group learning program certified by the CFPC and the OCFP for Mainpro+® credits. Learn more here. Register here. For questions, please contact: [email protected].
April
Codesign Process Success with Social Prescribing Stakeholders
Wednesday, April 3, 1:00 pm | Webinar | Free
Presented by the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP). This is the fourth installment in CISP's Research in Focus Social Prescribing webinar series. In this session, join Dr. Michelle Nelson and Marianne Saragosa as they share their learnings on what contributes to success of convening pan-Canadian stakeholders for co-design purposes.
Health Data for All of Us: Earning Trust Through Transparency
Tuesday, April 23 | Hybrid Conference (Online & Montreal)
HDRN Canada hosts this annual hybrid in-person and online forum for researchers and members of the public to learn about and explore a range of topics related to health data access and use in Canada. Registration now open.
May
ICES Research Forum 2024 - Strength of Numbers: Partnering for Impact
Thursday, May 2 | Online | Free
The Research Forum brings together over 800 attendees, including community leaders, researchers, data experts, and decision-makers from various provincial and federal health system organizations and ministries. Together, attendees will explore how strong partnerships advance data intensive research and analytics, and improve the way data is used to inform care, policy and outcomes. The program for 2024 combines notable speakers, moderated presentations and discussions, and insightful panels, offering many opportunities to learn and connect. For the first time, the day will also include dedicated spotlight sessions designed to support robust discussion and networking in a more informal format. Open to everyone. Register here.
June
Alliance 2024 Conference: Co-Designing the Future of Primary Health Care
Wednesday, June 5 - Thursday, June 6 | In Person (Richmond Hill)
This year's conference theme reflects a shared vision and action-orientation towards strengthening the foundation of our healthcare system. See article above for more information. Registration is now open, with early bird rates available until April 26. More information here.
2024 Social Finance Forum
Wednesday, June 12 - Thursday, June 13 | Hybrid Conference | from $225
The 2024 Social Finance Forum from Future of Good will be a digital-first hybrid event with in-person elements taking place in six cities across Canada. This summit will provide new insights and practical knowledge on how to shift capital for greater impact. Learn more here, and register here.
CPRI Research Symposium: Current Evidence and Promising Practices for Complex Child and Youth Mental Health and Development
Thursday, June 23 | Hybrid Conference (Online & London, ON)
This symposium is ideal for audiences interested in children and youth with complex combinations of needs, including researchers, students, and those who work in allied health professions, medicine, education, justice, direct care, or policy. The symposium will include morning and afternoon plenary speaker sessions and workshop speaker panels, a lunch-hour research poster session, and networking opportunities. Learn more here. Register here.
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Ongoing Training and Collaborative Learning
Rapid Action & Learning Intensive on Sociodemographic data collection
Coming soon - Alliance members only!
RALI-SDD is launching soon! Participants gain access to four self-paced online learning modules, dedicated coaching support, and a workbook to help you track your progress. RALI was developed as a way to help organizations apply the learnings of our second learning collaborative, which was all about improving sociodemographic data collection. It's free to enroll and available to Alliance members only. If interested, please email [email protected] to learn more or sign up.
SPIDER Learning Collaborative: De-prescribing dangerous medications
Can data-driven QI activities help de-prescribe potentially harmful medications, for medically complex senior clients? Help answer this question and improve health outcomes for your clients by participating in a 12-month learning collaborative. EMR queries will be provided to help participating Alliance members identify clients who would benefit. Contact Jennifer Rayner for more information.
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Research & Sharing Opportunities |
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Calls for Abstracts
Call for Proposals: 2024 IAP2 North American Conference
Deadline Extended - Apply by Tuesday, April 2
The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) conference, Building Together: The Role of Community Engagement in Shaping the Future is seeking text-based or video-based proposals for interactive sessions or workshops. People with experience designing community outreach programs, facilitating stakeholder meetings, or exploring new engagement methodologies are encouraged to share their stories of success and lessons learned from setbacks. See the call for proposals, including conference themes, criteria, steps to apply, and tips for successful submissions.
Call for Workshops: 5th Annual London FASD Virtual Conference
Apply by Friday, April 19
The London & Region FASD conference committee is inviting workshop proposal submissions for this year’s virtual conference (October 22 & 23). Presentation topics may include research, clinical approaches, or lived experience. Presentations should be accessible and relevant across disciplines. See details here or reach out to [email protected] for more information.
Clinical Trials and Participatory Research
Help recruit participants for CanTreatCOVID. The Alliance is a partner in this pan-Canadian study that compares outcomes of different COVID-19 treatments in primary care. You can help by inviting your clients (and others in your network) to participate. This handy recruitment toolkit includes posters for your clinic or program space, banners for your website, videos, and information about signing up. Please share this opportunity with your team by posting this flyer, which has been customized for Alliance members, in your shared space.
Focus Groups and Interviews
Maternity care providers' experiences using point-of-care ultrasound and/or continuous electronic fetal monitoring
Take part in one 60-90 minute interview (remote or in person)
Researchers at Western University are inviting Alliance members to participate in a study on maternity care providers' experiences using point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) and/or continuous electronic fetal monitoring (cEFM) in their care of pregnancy and childbirth. Participants will receive a $15 gift card as a token of appreciation, and minor travel costs, such as parking, will be covered for in-person participants. See details here or reach out to Grecia Alaniz for more information.
Provider Experience Study: Primary Care for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
Take part in a single 60-minute interview about your experiences
PriSMI is a CIHR-funded research program about the role of primary care in managing chronic illness among people living with serious mental illness (SMI). People with SMI often experience barriers to care, and understanding how primary care services are provided to them may help reduce avoidable hospitalizations and deaths. For the provider interview study, the PriSMI team is looking for family physicians and primary care nurse practitioners to describe their experiences caring for people living with SMI. Participants will receive a $120 honorarium for a 60-minute interview. Interested? Please check your eligibility here. For more information, contact [email protected].
Surveys
Public consultation: Barriers to Dental Care
Respond by April 21
The Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (the regulatory body for all dentists in the province) is developing a Standard of Practice and a Professionalism Guide to help address inequities in access to oral health care. You can help inform the development of these documents by completing this online survey by April 21. It will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Want to see the questions first? Download a PDF of the survey here. If you have questions, please reach out to the RCDSO by email.
Public consultation: Person-centred care in the context of integrated care
The International Foundation for Integrated Care’s 2022 survey found that the feature of integrated care consistently ranked highest was “people-centred.” Their 2024 survey aims to understand how person-centred care is practiced and experienced in different countries and settings, and to what extent people think it is being delivered today in health and care systems. They are hoping to hear from people representing as many groups and countries as possible. Follow this link to learn more and complete the survey, and please share it widely with your colleagues, clients, and communities.
Survey of Primary Care Practitioners: Infant and Early Mental Health
This survey by researchers at the Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion program at Sick Kids Hospital is seeking to better understand the needs of primary care practitioners when they work with children aged 0-3. It should only take 5 minutes to complete, and your response will help inform the development of early years mental health resources for primary care practitioners. For more information, reach out to the study team by email.
Dietitians and dietetic students/interns: Help evaluate e-learning modules
View online and respond via email
Researchers at the University of Ottawa are looking for dietitians to help evaluate three new interprofessional educational modules for dietitians in team-based primary health care. Participants will complete each simulation module followed by a survey about their perceived competence and how effective they found the learning materials. To learn more, please review the consent form in English or French and email Raphaëlle Laroche-Nantel or Dr. Isabelle Giroux at the University of Ottawa.
Interprofessional providers in primary care teams: Primary Care Teams Capacity Estimator (CapEs) Study
Needs and goals of racialized stroke survivors and family members/caregivers
Participate via Zoom and photovoice
Your lived-experience expertise can help develop knowledge about the needs and goals of racialized people after a stroke, as well as the gaps in support and services available to them. Researchers at the University of Toronto are looking for people who are Black/African, South Asian, or Chinese to share their experiences in meetings and through photovoice. Participants will be compensated. See the flyers linked above or email Hardeep Singh for more information.
For your older adult clients
A graduate student at the University of Toronto is surveying older adults about how they use the Internet for health information, and how they would like to learn new information for their health maintenance and improvement. Anyone aged 55+ is welcome to participate, especially those who are Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+; have disabilities; or live in rural/remote areas. Consent form and survey here. For further information, please reach out to Mary Hynes by email or at (416) 597-3422 ext. 7775.
For RNs Practicing in Primary Care Settings
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