Government of Canada and partners invest more than $26 million to advance integrated health care in Canada
News release
October 20, 2023 – Toronto, Ontario – Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Health research is vital for improving people’s health, advancing health equity, and strengthening Canada’s health care systems. This is especially true of implementation science: research that seeks to support the uptake of evidence-based solutions by policymakers and health care providers to improve patient care and health outcomes.
Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Canada’s Minister of Health, announced an investment of $26.6 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and partners that will bring researchers, policymakers, health care providers, and people with lived or living experience together to improve the health of people in Canada through integrated care policies and practices.
This investment will support 13 implementation science teams and a knowledge mobilization and impact hub that will address high priority health care challenges in Canada. The research teams will harness digital solutions to improve care in rural and remote regions, implement solutions to improve sexual health services delivered through pharmacies, improve the coordination of care for people with long COVID and chronic pain, support better mental health for equity deserving communities, and improve transitions from hospital to home for older adults, among other areas. The hub will foster coordination across the research teams and mobilize the research findings to increase their impact on the health and well-being of people and communities across the country.
CIHR is funding this research through its Transforming Health with Integrated Care (THINC) initiative in partnership with Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé, Research New Brunswick, Ontario Ministry of Health, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
The federal government will continue making investments like these that support science-based solutions to the challenges facing our healthcare system.
Quotes
“Health research is paramount to ensuring that Canadians have access to world-class healthcare. With this investment today, we are continuing our record of investing in research as part of our commitment to strengthen health care in communities across the country . These research teams will address important health challenges we are facing, and their work will lead to improved care and better health outcomes for people living with serious health conditions.”
The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
“Congratulations to all 13 funded teams and the hub. This investment will play a critical role in addressing pressing health system challenges across the country and achieving a more integrated, equitable and inclusive health system. CIHR’s Institute of Health Services and Policy Research is thrilled to lead this initiative in collaboration with partners to support evidence-informed integrated care transformation. This investment would not be possible without the generous support of our funding partners and our shared commitment to working together to advance evidence-informed integrated care transformation.”
Dr. Rick Glazier
Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research
“Integrated models of care are critical to the modernization of Canada's health system,” says Dr. Kevin Smith, President & CEO, University Health Network. “We thank the federal government for the investment in this timely research at UHN. As Canada's leading research hospital, we are proud of our pioneering work which aims to wrap the right level of care around our patients by bringing acute, home, community, and primary care together. With this generous investment, we will be able to accelerate development and the evolving models of care that will sustain our healthcare system."
Dr. Kevin Smith
President & CEO, University Health Network
Quick facts
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THINC is a research initiative led by CIHR’s Institute of Health Services and Policy Research, that aims to improve our understanding of how to implement, evaluate, adapt, spread, and share evidence-informed integrated care policies and practices.
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Integrated care brings together care and services within and beyond the health care sector to support coordinated, seamless, appropriate, high-quality care for individuals, families, communities, and populations based on their needs.
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This research supports the government’s plan to strengthen Canada’s universal public health care system, which, as outlined in Budget 2023, is supported with an additional investment of close to $200 billion over 10 years. The plan is rooted in shared health priorities: timely access to a family health team or provider, a sustainable health workforce, better access to quality mental health services, and ensuring patients have access to their own electronic health information.
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Contacts
Christopher Aoun
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health
613-957-0200
Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system
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