Voices From The Community
Alberta’s new research strategy
Story by Laura Ly/Photo by Veer
A new research and innovation strategy for Alberta will result in direct health outcomes and better health for Albertans.
Imagine this scenario: Mrs. Smith suffers from osteoarthritis and needs a hip replacement. In the past, Mrs. Smith would wait 35 weeks for a surgery consultation and another 47 weeks to have hip replacement surgery. However, thanks to the Alberta Hip and Knee Replacement Project that was introduced in 2005, Mrs. Smith now has a consultation within six weeks, and waits less than five weeks* before having surgery. This pilot project is an example of how research is being used to improve healthcare. And it’s one example of the kind of research that Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions (AIHS) will look to support as part of its new direction, says Dr. Jacques Magnan, the CEO of AIHS.
In January 2010, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) became AIHS. This new corporation is part of Alberta Innovates, an aligned research and innovation system created by the Government of Alberta that also includes three other corporations: Bio Solutions, Energy and Environment Solutions, and Technology Futures. “The Alberta Innovates system is intended to provide more coordination, alignment, and cooperation between the research sectors in the province. For example, an agricultural researcher may not be aware of what is happening in health or environmental research. But within an aligned and more efficient system like Alberta Innovates, unique collaborations and opportunities could develop across research sectors,” explains Dr. Magnan.
Recently, Alberta Health and Wellness designated AIHS as the administrator of the research portion of the Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund. “In collaboration with the Alberta Cancer Foundation and Alberta Health Services, AIHS will develop an integrated strategic plan for cancer research in Alberta and provide funding for projects that focus on identifying new approaches to understanding, preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. This new partnership was developed to take advantage of the coordinated and aligned Alberta Innovates structure,” notes Dr. Magnan.
AHFMR was established in 1980 with a mandate to support medical research in Alberta. For 30 years, AHFMR’s key investment strategy was people: attracting and retaining the best and brightest researchers throughout all stages of their careers. In doing so, AHFMR established a legacy for health research in the province. “AIHS will build on this legacy and research capacity to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” says Dr. Magnan. “The full value of research in the end, to society as a whole, is captured in the transfer and application of knowledge or evidence into use. We are interested in the research outcomes that result in better health, a better health system, and socioeconomic benefits for the province.”
The organization will provide funding and support in areas of health that the government has identified as priorities because they affect so many Albertans. Areas such as mental health and addictions, child and maternal health, infectious diseases, chronic disease, and personalized medicine are big issues as the government tries to improve health and make healthcare delivery more efficient and effective. Research that can be used to prevent disease, promote health, and deliver better care is key.
To address these priority areas, AIHS’s first step is to collaborate with many stakeholders. We live in a different world than that of 30 years ago; the types of people interested in, contributing to, and affected by health research has broadened. “Clearly researchers and the government are interested in health research, but so is the private sector, which includes pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and other industries. So our discussions will include broad groups of people, as long as they have an interest in what knowledge is generated in a particular area, or they want to contribute to or use that knowledge or evidence to do something,” adds Dr. Magnan.
Also welcome are the perspectives of patient groups and health services workers who can identify the gaps, opportunities, and needs in a particular health field. The research and innovation initiatives that emerge from these collaborative discussions will be used to fill those gaps, and improve health and healthcare delivery and services.
What’s next for AIHS in 2011? “We will continue over the next six years to provide support for the legacy programs from AHFMR, but the big plan for 2011 is to have new, strategic initiatives in place as rapidly as possible in the priority areas outlined in Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy,” says Dr. Magnan.
“AHFMR helped build a capacity of quality research in this province, and the public should get even more value from this investment in research than ever before. Alberta will continue to be one of the key investors in health research in this country.”
*source: December 2005 Hip and Knee Replacement Program progress report from the Alberta Bone and Joint Institute.