SPOR Initiative

Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Initiative

The goal of the Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Initiative is to establish state-of-the-art core competencies in highly specialized methodological areas and offer collaboration to other researchers engaged in patient-oriented research.  These units will also lead and facilitate decision-making within the health services setting and catchment area, and foster the implementation of best practices.

The six broad objectives of this initiative include:

  1. Provide a critical mass of highly specialized and multi-disciplinary methodological expertise to those engaged in patient-oriented research.  (Includes: clincial epidemiologists, biostatisticians, social scientists, health economists and clinical trialists, research support staff including research coordinators, research associates and assistants, data collectors, and data analysts).
  2. Provide state-of-the-art Units for advancing methods and training in comparative effectiveness research and developing the next generation of methodologists, building support where is does not now exist and ehance it where it is not sufficient.
  3. Assist investigators to design research studies (including observational and interventional studies), conduct biostatistical analyses, manage data, provide and teach project management skills, and ensure studies meet all relevant regulatory standards.
  4. Address research questions and needs of knowledge users, such as health services decision-makers, by producing solutions-focused answers and supporting these users in the application of solutions.
  5. Create capacity to provide timely access to linked data (administrative data to clinical data), and to integrate existing or new databases with lab, drug, imaging, and diagnostic data.
  6. To promote the implementation of clinical research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, and hence to improve the quality (effectiveness, reliability, safety, appropriateness, equity, efficiency) of health care.

This initiative requires co-funding from a partner in a 1:1 match.

I Governance

- Set and monitor performance measures
- Ensure lean and efficient, timely service
- Sustain engagement of strategic partners
- Assure attention to disadvantaged and oft-neglected populations (remote, rural, aboriginal)
- Provide fair balance of support to high profile programs of excellence and fostering of studies in new or neglected fields
- Built relationship with public and patients
- Maintain bridges across themes of research (clinical, health services and policy research, population and public health)

II Sustainability
- Demonstrate commitment to maintain capacity and expertise developed by the Unit beyond the term of the SUPPORT Unit funding

III Evaluation of deliverables

IV Accessibility
- Demonstrate how access to services will be managed (local, jurisdictional, national, international)
- Describe how access to services will be prioritized

V Process for streamlining/harmonizing contract agreements