Research is changing: it’s time to involve patients in everything from setting research priorities and research questions, designing research methods, research governance, participating on research teams and publishing results.
Fraser Health and Simon Fraser University launched the BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre to help achieve those goals. Services are available for those who wish to find out more about patient oriented research and how they can be supported. See Service Delivery Process Model.
The BC SUPPORT Unit is a multi-partner organization created to support, streamline and increase patient-oriented research throughout British Columbia. Patient-oriented research engages patients as partners and focuses on patient-identified priorities with the goals of improving patient experiences, health outcomes and the health system. The Fraser Centre will provide support services to all academic and health authority researchers, clinicians and decision makers working in the Fraser Valley, as well as patients living in this region.
The Fraser Centre, jointly administered by the Fraser Health Department of Evaluation and Research Services and SFU, is one of several SUPPORT Units established across the country as part of Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. A total of $79.96 million has been committed to launch this initiative across BC for the next 4 years until March 31, 2021.
Who are patients?
Anyone who has experience with the healthcare system and/or personal experience of a health issue, and informal caregivers, including family and friends.
Key goals of the BC SUPPORT Unit are to:
- Build capacity to conduct and implement high quality patient-oriented research in all regions
- Increase the quality and impact of patient-oriented research across BC, and
- Ensure ongoing support for patient-oriented research in all regions of the province.
For more information, contact BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre Staff:
Magdalena Newman, Magdalena.Newman@fraserhealth.ca, Regional Centre Lead/Manager
Brittney La Pietra, blapietr@sfu.ca, SFU Research Navigator
Beverley Pomeroy, beverley.pomeroy@fraserhealth.ca, Patient Engagement Specialist
Alia Januwalla, alia.januwalla@fraserhealth.ca, Knowledge Translation Specialist
Richard Sobel, richard.sobel@fraserhealth.ca, Research Navigator