August 4, 2022
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Sabrina Wong and her team have received Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funding for the SPOR Primary Care Research Network (SPOR PCRN) as part of a $29M federal investment in health research networks "to address some of Canada's most pressing health challenges." The Honorable Jean-Yves Duclos announced August 5, 2022 that further investments would be made to five pan-Canadian health research networks that target chronic illnesses faced by Canadians. In addition, funding would be provided to a "new research network aimed at transforming primary care."
Primary care is one of many research priorities in Canada. No health challenge, such as mental health, chronic illnesses, access to care, or discrimination in health care—can be successfully addressed in the absence of responsive, effective, efficient, and integrated PHC informed by the highest quality evidence.
The SPOR PCRN was first established as the Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations (PICHI) Network, an interdisciplinary and intersectoral network of people who collaborate on generating solution-focused innovations in primary care delivery. The PICHI network was formed as a "network of networks" to foster an alliance between research, policy, and practice to create dynamic and responsive learning systems across the country. The new SPOR PCRN will integrate and build upon the PICHI network to expand patient-oriented primary care innovations to new sites, settings, and populations.
SPOR PCRN's vision is to create a sustainable pan-Canadian Primary Health Care learning health system network supported by patient-oriented, practice-based research and learning to improve patient and provider experiences in delivering and receiving care; population health; and health care system expenditures. The Network’s mission is to establish and grow provincial and territorial practice-based research and learning networks (PBRLNs) supported by a PHC information system consisting of electronic medical record data linked with patient-reported experience and outcome measures.
For more information on the SPOR Primary Care Network, please contact the new Executive Director, Jamie DeMore.
