“I can no longer imagine doing research that is meant to help patients without including patients on my team. ”
The Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR) supports researchers in patient-oriented research by providing resources such as methodological expertise, data access and services, coaching and help with accessing and working with Patient Partners, and training and development. We can also provide advice and connections for Indigenous research.
What is Patient-Oriented Research?
Patient-oriented research is done in partnership with patients and their families and caregivers and answers research questions that matter to patients, and aims to improve health care.
The vision of CIHR’s SPOR initiative includes two critical elements. The first is patient-oriented research teams, which include patients and family members as partners in the grant writing and research process. The second is the inclusion of decision makers (including policy makers and health authority leaders) and health care practitioners throughout the research process.
Why is Patient-Oriented Research Important?
Patient involvement has been shown to guide research to more relevant questions, improve data collection methods and interpretation, and patients can play a significant role in knowledge translation. The contributions of health care practitioners and decision makers help guide the research on a practical, sustainable path and their involvement in research speeds up the process of translating new knowledge into policy and to the bedside.
SPOR National Training Entity
The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) supported National Training Entity (NTE) is welcoming request for support by those wishing to submit applications to SPOR-Partnered grants, such as the Transforming Health with Integrated Care (THINC) grant (https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/52941.html). The NTE will be able to evaluate with the applicant the type of support that can be offered over the term of the grant regarding capacity building in patient-oriented research, and in alignment with the deployment of their own activities. These requests can be sent directly to Dr. Alexandre Parent, NTE’s Executive Director.