Learn about the BC SUPPORT (Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials) Unit's activities in our bi-weekly newsletter.
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BC SUPPORT Unit Bulletin - July 26th, 2017
Human resources | BC SUPPORT Unit seeks Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator

We're hiring! The Unit is looking for a Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator - a key member of the BC SUPPORT Unit Hub and regional centre teams. This individual will be responsible for fostering multiple partner and stakeholder relationships and agreements.

The successful candidate will participate in a wide range of activities, including: operational support; committee meetings, working groups and other initiatives; and professional activities within and outside the Unit. The application deadline is August 11th, 2017.

To read the full job posting, please visit our website. We encourage you to forward this URL to anyone in your networks who may be interested in this position. 

National Curriculum | Vancouver Island Centre holds second training module, engages diverse community audience

On July 18th, 2017, the BC SUPPORT Unit Vancouver Island Centre hosted Module 2 of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) National Curriculum series, titled Fundamentals of Health Research in Canada.

The goal of this module is to introduce patients and other non-researchers (e.g. care providers and system decision-makers) to the broad landscape of health research in Canada and provide knowledge to enable them to participate in various roles related to the health research enterprise. This session was open to anyone interested in learning more about Canadian health research.

Hosted at the University of Victoria, 21 participants representing a wide range of therapeutic areas and interests were in attendance, including a number of Island Health healthcare providers and mangers, in addition to patient partners. The group engaged in a lively discussion about the purpose of health research, including who conducts it and who funds it; as well as how to develop a research question, the stages of a research project, and ethical considerations.

"I learned a lot about facilitating knowledge exchange with patient partners through observation," wrote Dominique Duquette, a health practitioner representing Island Health, in a feedback email. Duquette added that she's looking forward to seeing more quality patient-oriented research in her work. 

For more information about the Unit's Vancouver Island Centre, please visit their homepage. For information about upcoming events, please email the Island Centre.

Engaging researchers | Fraser Centre helps ensure that patients are at the centre of research

"Patients can add a valuable perspective in different areas of research."
- Research Week attendee

The keynote day of Fraser Health Authority's Research Week, co-hosted by the BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre, featured several examples of patient-oriented research which are actively engaging patient partners.

Keynote speakers on June 14th included Dr. Adeera Levin, principal investigator for Canadians Seeking Solutions to Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD). Dr. Levin described how the research program had evolved from three years of priority-setting discussions with patient partners so that the program is based on patient questions. 18 research projects are being conducted with contributions of a Patient Council and an Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement and Research Council.
 
Patient-outcomes research was the focus of the next presentation by Drs. Rick Sawatzky and Bruce Forde. This research is being conducted in collaboration with Fraser Health Home Health (for patients with life-limiting illnesses) and with input from the Quality of Life Assessment and Practice Support System (QPSS) Innovation Community’s Patient and Family Engagement Council.   
 
Concluding the day was a panel discussion featuring three patient representatives (pictured above, with panel moderator Dr. Sonia Singh), who provided examples of success stories from their engagement on research teams. Their personal stories illustrated how patients like to be involved on research teams and the best ways for engaging patients.

The Fraser Centre event was received enthusiastically by Fraser Health staff.

"[Fraser Centre] has resources that I was unaware of and need to find out more about," wrote one attendee in a feedback survey. "Bringing patients into research studies is a valuable tool to collect information and provide guidance for practice," wrote another after the event.

For more information, please contact the BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre.     
Engaging our communities | Patient partner features BC SUPPORT Unit staff member in UVic newsletter article

An article about the recent Stroke Town Hall event, written by Douglas Laird, a patient partner from Vancouver Island, appeared in the July 6th issue of the Martlet, the University of Victoria's independent newspaper. Featured in this article is Colleen McGavin, the Unit's provincial Patient Engagement Lead, who was interviewed about the objectives of SPOR and the BC SUPPORT Unit. 

Click here to read the full article in the Martlet's online edition. 

For more information about becoming a patient partner on Vancouver Island, please contact the Unit's Vancouver Island Centre.
Celebrating patient engagement | CIHR launches Canada 150 health research digital storybook

To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, the CIHR is collecting stories from people who have been touched by, or have been involved in, health research – as a patient, as a family member or friend of a patient, or as a researcher. Each story should be a a 150-word snapshot, and should be accompanied by a high-resolution photo. 

Stories are now being collected in a digital storybook on the CIHR website. Click the link to read patient stories, hear from researchers about the health problems they’re tackling and learn about the new scientific knowledge they’re creating.
 
To share your health research story, please read the guidelines page or contact CIHR Communications.
Professional development | Yale University School of Public Health's video training modules available on YouTube

Qualitative research is a strategy for systematic collection, organization, and interpretation of phenomena that are difficult to measure quantitatively. 

In this multi-part training course, Dr. Leslie Curry leads viewers through six modules covering essential topics in qualitative research, including what is qualitative research and how to use the most common methods, in-depth interviews and focus groups. These videos are intended to enhance participants' capacity to conceptualize, design, and conduct qualitative research in the health sciences.

For more information, please visit the Yale School of Public Health.

Scholarships update | MSFHR funds 53 exceptional scholars and research trainees

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) has announced 53 funding-award recipients (20 scholars and 33 research trainees) from across Metro Vancouver, Prince George, Kelowna and Victoria. These award recipients, selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, represent a bright future for health research in British Columbia.
 
The MSFHR Scholar and Research Trainee Programs work in tandem to support the long-term success of the BC health research landscape. The Trainee Program provides salary support for health researchers in the training phase of their research career, while the Scholar Program focuses on researchers who are building cutting-edge health research programs, training junior scientists and expanding their potential to make significant contributions to their field.
 
The funded research spans a broad range of disciplines, from addiction to cardiovascular genetics and type 2 diabetes.
 
For more information, please visit the MSFHR website.

 Professional Development Opportunities
Funding Opportunities
The BC SUPPORT Unit is part of the BC Academic Health Science Network (BC AHSN), with the network's board providing governance and oversight.
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Please contact Dan Enjo, Communications Specialist.
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