Throughout our lifetime, most of us will experience a transition in care, whether as a patient, a family member, or a caregiver. These transitions occur when the responsibility of caring for a patient changes hands, often due to aging, a change in health status, or a change in location. It is at these moments when patients are most at risk of receiving incomplete, delayed, or poor quality of care, which can negatively affect their health and wellness. Some groups, such as patients with complex medical conditions, Indigenous Peoples, and new immigrants to Canada, are more vulnerable to poor outcomes during transitions and that is why inclusive, multi-disciplinary research is required to improve outcomes for everyone.
Today, Peter Fragiskatos, Member of Parliament for London North Centre, announced, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, an investment of $12 million in research to improve the continuity of care for Canadians throughout all stages of life. By supporting 14 world-class research teams, this research will support the government's plan announced on February 7, 2023 to improve health care and deliver real results for Canadians.
The research teams receiving funding will collaborate with health care providers, people with lived or living experience, caregivers, and decision-makers to study diverse aspects of the health care system. Two research teams are based at Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute, where one team will focus on improving primary care for people with diabetes who have other health conditions that make getting effective care challenging. The other team will work to ensure seamless lifelong care for adults with childhood-onset disabilities such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida.
Teams at Queen's University and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto will help post-secondary school students maintain their mental health and wellness by providing access to digital mental health care resources and navigation services. A team at CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal will use digital technologies to support the health of seniors transitioning from hospital to home care - particularly those living in remote areas.
Funding for the research teams is provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) in partnership with the Azrieli Foundation, Mitacs, and the Rossy Foundation as part of the ongoing Transitions in Care initiative.
