The Health Research Fund is administered by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research on behalf of Alberta Health and Wellness.
(From 1999 Competition)
| Total Projects Funded: | 20 |
| Total Commitment: | $1,485,600 over two years |
| CALGARY | |
| 1. Can sleeplessness in recovering alcoholics be treated without drugs? | |
| Sleep difficulties are a significant problem for many alcoholics and are a major reason they relapse. This study will assess the impact of a behavioural treatment program for patients with chronic alcohol problems. | |
| Title: | “Non-pharmacological treatment of insomnia in recovering alcoholics” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Shawn Currie, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary |
| Affliated institution: | Addiction Center - Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 2. 1. Does the length of time between the start of symptoms and the start of treatment affect the severity of schizophrenia? | |
| This study will examine whether the length of time between onset of symptoms of schizophrenia and treatment impacts the course of the illness. The study will also explore why delays in treatment may occur. | |
| Title: | “Duration of untreated psychosis and pathways to care” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Jean Addington, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary |
| Affliated institution: | Foothills Medical Center |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2001 |
| 3. Can future reading difficulties be predicted from studying language levels in pre-school and kindergarten children? | |
| This study is a continuation of an earlier study that aims to give teachers, parents, and health professionals more knowledge about how to effectively predict the future reading abilities of young children. | |
| Title: | “Prediction of later reading difficulties from preschool literacy experiences and kindergarten phonemic awareness” |
| Principal Investigator: | Ms. Robin Kresnyak, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Calgary Regional Health Authority |
| Affliated institution: | University of Calgary |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2001 |
| 4. What role does public input play in the Calgary Regional Health Authority's health policies? | |
| This study will examine the impact that public participation has on the development and implementation of health policies in the CRHA. | |
| Title: | “Effective public participation at the regional level in health policy development and implementation” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Wilfreda Thurston, Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary |
| Affliated institution: | Calgary Regional Health Authority |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 5. What treatments work best to treat a common and painful foot problem? | |
| This study will compare three common treatments for plantar fasciitis to see which works best and is most economical. | |
| Title: | “Treatment for plantar fasciitis” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Preston Wiley, Sports Medicine Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary |
| Affliated institution: | Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 6. What is the cost of treating patients with kidney dialysis? | |
| While patients with kidney failure represent a very small percentage of Canada's population, they consume a significant proportion of the overall healthcare budget. This study will examine the cost of treating patients undergoing kidney dialysis. | |
| Title: | “A cost utility analysis of renal replacement therapy: accounting for casemix” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Cam Donaldson, Department of Community Health Sciences |
| Affliated institution: | Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 7. Is a portable monitor a good option for diagnosing sleep disorders in children? | |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common medical disorder affecting 2% of young children. Diagnosis of OSA in a sleep lab is often intimidating because numerous electrodes and cables must be taped and glued to the child's skin and scalp. This study will explore whether the portable SnoreSat monitor is a good way to diagnose children with OSA. | |
| Title: | “Validation of the SnoreSat monitor for the identification of OSA in children” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Valerie Kirk, Department of Pediatrics |
| Affliated institution: | Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| EDMONTON | |
| 8. What factors contribute to long wait times in hospital emergency rooms in Edmonton? | |
| This study will investigate alternatives to reduce waiting times and patient demand in emergency rooms in the Capital Health Region. | |
| Title: | “Understanding factors that contribute to increased service pressures in emergency departments in a major health region” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Duncan Saunders, Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | Capital Health Region |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2001 |
| 9. Which health services do seniors use and how often do they use them? | |
| This study will describe the use of hospitals and other health services by residents of continuing care facilities and compare this with the use of health services by home care recipients and seniors who live independently. | |
| Title: | “The use of health services by residents of continuing care facilities” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Donna Wilson |
| Affliated institution: | Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 10. Does a standardized approach to help treat hip fractures work? | |
| The Capital Health Region developed a care map to standardize hip fracture patient care across the region. This study will investigate the effectiveness of the care map and determine whether it has met its goals. | |
| Title: | “Effectiveness of hip fracture care map” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Donald Johnston, University of Alberta Hospital, Capital Health Region |
| Affliated institution: | Capital Health Region, Baylor University, Texas |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 11. Is there a genetic risk for spine and hip disorders? | |
| This study will investigate the genetic determinants of spine and hip disorders such as lower back disc degeneration and hip osteoarthritis. | |
| Title: | “Determinants of spine and hip disorders” |
| Principal Investigator: | : Dr. Michele Crites Battie, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | University of Oulu, Finland, UCLA, Kuopia University Hospital |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 12. Why do youths and teens smoke? | |
| Thirty percent of youths as young as 12 have tried smoking. This study will assess theories about why youths and teens smoke and provide benchmarks for youth and teen tobacco monitoring. | |
| Title: | “Psychosocial determinants of tobacco use among Alberta adolescents” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Cameron Wild, Centre for Health Promotion Studies, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | Alberta Cancer Board and Alberta Tobacco Reduction Alliance (ATRA) |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 13. What is the rate of illegal injection drug use in Edmonton? | |
| This study will provide the first in-depth description of illegal injection drug use in Edmonton. | |
| Title: | “Health promotion for injection drug users in Edmonton, Phase 1: multi method study” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Cameron Wild |
| Affliated institution: | Centre for Health Promotion Studies, University of Alberta |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 14. How do refugee and immigrant children adapt to life in Canada? | |
| This study will investigate the well being of immigrant and refugee children in Canada. | |
| Title: | “New Canadian children and youth study - Prairies” |
| Principal Investigator: | : Dr. Linda Ogilvie, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, University of Calgary, and McGill University |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 15. 1. Can men at risk for urinary incontinence be identified before prostate surgery? | |
| This study will determine whether men at risk for urinary incontinence after undergoing prostate surgery can be identified before the surgery by using two questionnaires. | |
| Title: | “Preoperative predictors of persistent urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Katherine Moore, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta and Rockyview Hospital, Calgary, Alberta |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 16. How has community based delivery changed rehabilitation services in Alberta and Saskatchewan? | |
| Occupational and physical therapy services have moved from hospital based services to community based services. This study will evaluate the impact of moving these services from hospital to community based settings. | |
| Title: | “Impact of community initiatives on rehabilitation” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Vivien Hollis, Department of Occupational Therapy |
| Affliated institution: | Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 17. Is cost a major factor in deciding if patients are transferred between health regions? | |
| This study will examine the impact of arrangements to compensate one health region for providing care for residents of another region, on the inter-regional transfer of hospital patients. | |
| Title: | “The influence of import/export adjustments on the transfer of patients between regions under capitation funding” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Philip Jacobs, Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | University of Calgary and the Institute of Health Economics |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| 18. Do education programs improve the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury patients? | |
| This study will assess the knowledge and skills gained by spinal cord injury patients who are receiving on-going medical rehabilitation. | |
| Title: | “Education in spinal cord injury rehabilitation” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Laura May, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta |
| Affliated institution: | Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| LETHBRIDGE | |
| 19. How do the health beliefs of the Kanadier Mennonites affect the way they use health services? | |
| The Kanadier Mennonite population is expanding in Alberta and very little is known about their attitude toward and use of the healthcare system. Typically, this group comes to the attention of caregivers only after a major health crisis. This study aims to gain a better understanding of how the Kanadier Mennonites view health and illness and how their religious beliefs affect the way they use health services. | |
| Title: | “Kanadier Mennonites' health and illness” |
| Principal Investigator: | Dr. Judith Kulig, School of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge |
| Affliated institution: | Chinook and Palliser Health Regions |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |
| RED DEER | |
| 20. Can a standard approach be used to plan a community's health care? | |
| This study will measure the impact of using two performance measurement tools in planning to address health issues. | |
| Title: | “Impact of community level indicators” |
| Principal Investigator: | Mr. Neale Smith, Regional Public Health, David Thompson Health Region |
| Affliated institution: | University of Calgary |
| Anticipated Project Completion Date: | March 31, 2002 |