New investment in patient-oriented research in Manitoba

News release

June 27, 2022 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Patients, their families, and caregivers are best placed to know what is important and what is not when receiving health care services. That’s why patient-oriented research and care is so vital. Through their lived experience, patients bring valuable firsthand perspectives to research that, in turn, help lead to new and better ways of delivering care that ultimately improve the health of all people in Canada.

Today, MP Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced a joint investment of $30 million from the Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba, and provincial partners, Shared Health and the University of Manitoba, to support the next phase of the Manitoba SPOR Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Unit, which connects research with patient needs so that evidence-based solutions can be applied to health care.

The Manitoba SPOR SUPPORT Unit is embedded within the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation (CHI), a partnership between the University of Manitoba and Shared Health. For the past two years, CHI has been providing valuable evaluation and data analytic services to the provincial pandemic response, while diligently supporting Manitoba’s health system transformation. To support the move to online patient engagement, CHI developed and hosted a virtual learning series that helped its community assess the needs for inclusive online engagement, how to best engage online with Indigenous and newcomer communities and learn practical tips and tricks for virtual patient engagement. CHI also finalized a provincial Patient-Reported Measurement Strategy — a framework and set of recommendations to facilitate the collection, analysis, reporting, and use of patient-reported measures in Manitoba. 

This investment is provided as part of Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), a pan-Canadian initiative dedicated to integrating the voices of patients in research and health care. SPOR is led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) with support from partners across the country. 

Quotes

“To provide Canadians with high-quality health care, we need research evidence to tell us what works best. Patients, caregivers, and families help us get this evidence by adding their unique lived experiences to the research process. Through this continued collaboration with the provinces and territories and our partners, we are strengthening health care systems across the country and improving patient care for Canadians.”

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

“We are proud to support patient-oriented research in collaboration with our partners in Manitoba. This new investment will allow these SUPPORT Units to continue to facilitate research that addresses the priorities of patients and improves the delivery of health services Manitobans.”

Terry Duguid
Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

“Our work at CIHR has made patient-oriented research no longer just a concept in Canada; patients and researchers are working together to produce measurable improvements in service delivery and health care practice across the country. Patient-oriented research wouldn’t be where it is today without the ongoing support and contributions from all SPOR-funded entities and their steadfast commitment to patient-oriented research in each of their jurisdictions.”

Dr. Michael J. Strong
President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

"Inclusive patient-oriented research gives Manitobans with lived experience a voice in health research and health system decision-making. Manitoba Health is proud to support the Centre for Healthcare Innovation as it enters the next phase of this important work to improve patient outcomes in Manitoba."

The Honourable Audrey Gordon
Minister of Health, Province of Manitoba

“CIHR’s Phase II funding reaffirms our commitment to advancing a culture of inclusive patient-oriented research in Manitoba and bridging the gap between evidence and health care practice.”

Dr. Terry Klassen
Scientific Director, George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation
Canada Research Chair in Clinical Trials at the University of Manitoba

Quick facts

  • SPOR is a pan-Canadian coalition of the federal government, provinces, territories, philanthropic organizations, academic institutions, and health charities with the goal of achieving better patient outcomes through patient-oriented research.

  • SPOR Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Units, or SPOR SUPPORT Units, are provincial and territorial-based centres that provide access to health data, apply knowledge generated through research to improve health care practices, provide training on conducting and using patient-oriented research, and engaging patients as active partners throughout the entire research process.

  • There are also SPOR SUPPORT Units located in Alberta, British Columbia, the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, and Yukon. Discussions are underway to establish a SUPPORT Unit in Nunavut.

  • The Government of Canada, through the CIHR and the Government of Manitoba, Shared Health, and the University of Manitoba are providing an investment of $25 million  over five years to help the SPOR SUPPORT Unit in Manitoba continue their important work.

Associated links

Contacts

Marie-France Proulx
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
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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