CIHR launches casebooks about Canadians turning research into action
OTTAWA, March 28, 2006 -- Improving healthcare for newborn babies
at risk; reducing workplace injury and illness; shaping community action plans
for early childhood development; and helping Canada's minority communities
cope with the Tsunami disaster: these and other Canadian stories about
transforming research results into action can be found in two casebooks
launched today by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
"These casebooks offer compelling examples of how research evidence gets
used in strengthening Canada's health care system and improving the health of
Canadians. They also provide a rare glimpse behind the scenes, to show what
works, and what doesn't work, in getting research evidence into practical
use," said Dr. Morris Barer, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of
Health Services and Policy Research.
The two knowledge translation casebooks: Moving Population and Public
Health Knowledge into Action by the CIHR Institute of Population and Public
Health, and the Canadian Population Health Initiative and Evidence in Action,
Acting on Evidence by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy
Research, were published to help researchers, policy-makers and community
members learn from the experiences of others. Compiling this information is an
important step to ensure that new knowledge shapes health policy, program
delivery and, ultimately, improves the health of Canadians.
"I hope this collection of stories inspires other researchers, policy
makers and community members to find new innovative ways to move research into
action," said Dr. John Frank, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of
Population and Public Health. "These examples teach us that research has the
biggest impact on improving the health of citizens when it reflects the real
needs of communities."
Examples of stories about moving research into real world application
include:
The Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) captures information about treatments
given at neonatal units across Canada. These data have already helped one
institution reduce the number of infections by half giving Canada's premature
babies and high risk newborns the best possible chance at healthy lives;
The Eastern Canada Consortium on Workplace Health and Safety is trying to
reduce the hundreds of thousands of employees involved in industrial accidents
each year and the more than $10 billion these problems cost in Canada.
University, government and workplace collaborations are helping compile
lessons learned in Quebec and translating them into improvements in workplace
health and safety in Newfoundland;
The Human Early Learning Partnership is providing data to shape community
action plans in British Columbia. This information is crucial in order to
reduce the number of children (currently 25% in BC) who arrive on the first
day of school challenged in fundamental aspects of cognitive, language,
social, physical and emotional development;
The Local Distress Relief Network (LDRN), created by a group of concerned
scientists, physicians and community leaders, provided information, referral
and culturally appropriate health care to the Toronto Tamil Community to help
them deal with grief and loss during the Tsunami of December 2004.
"This collection of stories highlights the tremendous potential of
population and public health research in shaping more effective policy and
practices in communities across Canada," says Elizabeth Gyorfi-Dyke, Director
of the Canadian Population Health Initiative. "We hope these casebooks will be
valuable tools for policy- and decision-makers to influence health."
Knowledge Translation (KT) has played an integral part in the development
of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) since its inception in
June 2000. CIHR envisions KT as the exchange, synthesis and ethically-sound
application of knowledge for the benefit of Canadians through improved health,
more effective services and products, and a strengthened health care system.
The KT casebooks launched today provide concrete illustrations of how health
care system, population and public health, and research knowledge have been
translated in Canada.
More stories about Canadian research in action can be found in the KT
casebooks on the CIHR web site at www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of
Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new
scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health,
more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian
health care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and
support to close to 10,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca
The CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) supports
research into the complex interactions (biological, social, cultural,
environmental) which determine the health of individuals, communities, and
global populations; and into the application of that knowledge to improve the
health of both populations and individuals.
The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR)
supports outstanding research, capacity-building and knowledge translation
initiatives designed to improve the way health care services are organized,
regulated, managed, financed, paid for, delivered and used in the interest of
improving the health and quality of life of all Canadians.
- 30 -
Backgrounder
For more information please contact:
Marie-France Poirier
Media Relations
CIHR
Telephone.: (613) 941-4563
