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Graphical imagery of outline of man with circlesÌýÌý Strategic Research Plan

Faculty of Medicine andÌýHealth Sciences

3. Evidence-based innovation in healthcare

Transforming Discovery into Healthcare Impact

Effective healthcare improvements often stem from a continuum between foundational research and practical clinical questions and applications.

Our Faculty is committed to fostering increased collaboration across all its Schools, Research Centres, Institutes, and affiliated healthcare institutions. We aim to enhance interactions among diverse research groups and establish partnerships that span the entire spectrum of research, innovation, and practice. This includes laboratory scientists, clinical investigators, health professionals, and patients, forming novel alliances with the potential for high-impact innovation.

These interdisciplinary groupings are instrumental in training the next generation of health researchers and health care professionals within a dynamic and productive environment. Central to our implementation strategy is the translation of research findings into tangible health benefits and improved treatments. While knowledge translation can take various paths, we advocate for a structured approach that encompasses basic laboratory research, clinical trials, implementation of innovations, person-centered outcomes, and broader impacts on families and communities.

Driving Quality and Equity in Health Services

Healthcare systems are perpetually evolving, embracing innovative care approaches, integrating new technologies, and striving for quality improvement to achieve safer, better, and more equitable care for everyone. Evidence-based decision-making and policy development, which apply across the full spectrum of care—encompassing primary to quaternary care, prevention, rehabilitation, and self-care, are essential to drive improvements. Engaging with various community groups, including vulnerable populations, is critical to the success of these efforts.

FMHS strategy in these areas

Through the following concerted strategies, FMHS aspires to not only bridge the gap between research and clinical practice but also to continuously adapt and improve healthcare in response to both local and global health needs.

  • Translation to Clinical Practice: The pathway to clinical application involves validating disease models in human studies, assessing diagnostic and therapeutic prospects, and obtaining regulatory approval for healthcare innovations. Subsequent phases focus on disseminating these advancements to key stakeholders—patients, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies—to foster community integration and uptake. This inclusive strategy also entails evaluating implementation hurdles, gathering evidence of success and areas for improvement, and utilizing population research to monitor outcomes, all while considering demographic and socio-cultural shifts. Innovative graduate programs ensure that researchers trained at ÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û have the knowledge and skills necessary to link research, practice, and policy.
  • Accelerating Clinical Trials: FMHS’ clinical trials infrastructure, bolstered by a recently funded major program, is an asset in translating discoveries into patient care. Our interdisciplinary research in, e.g., oncology and neuroscience, extends to addressing the psychological, emotional, and social dimensions of disease.
  • Optimizing Health through Interdisciplinary Research: Central to enhancing health services is the interdisciplinary collaboration spearheaded by the Institute for Health Sciences Education and the Department of Equity, Ethics, and Policy, emphasizing the training of health professionals for best health care delivery, bioethics, health inequities, and policy research. Innovations from the Ingram School of Nursing and the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, such as in patient-reported outcomes and digital health, alongside automated systems and living labs, will significantly contribute to service optimization. A newly established FRQS-funded digital health network exemplifies our commitment to pushing the boundaries of healthcare research. In addition to optimizing health through interdisciplinary research, graduate programs such as those offered by the Institute of Health Sciences Education are at the forefront of training interdisciplinary researchers to ensure the delivery of high-quality healthcare in a dynamic and changing healthcare landscape and to support innovative solutions to complex healthcare problems.
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