BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre: Patient-oriented research project focusing on the opioid crisis and Aboriginal health, yields results
The BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre has been supporting teams in the Fraser Salish Region to initiate, develop and complete patient-oriented research projects over the last two years and we are now seeing the results of some of this work. For example, two 2017 Fraser Centre Planning Award recipients have recently completed their planning projects addressing two priority areas: the opioid crisis and Aboriginal health.
As we know, the overdose crisis in B.C. continues to be pervasive and devastating. Jennifer Hawkins, a Community Health Specialist in Fraser Health, built a team of community members, researchers, and clinicians to explore the crisis in Chilliwack, and further east, to better understand and address the overdose crisis in rural areas. The team developed an application for, and were awarded, a Convening Grant from the Vancouver Foundation to co-create a participatory action research plan with people affected by the crisis.
Vishal Jain, Lead, Aboriginal Health, and Petra Pardy, Executive Director Health Services, used the Planning Award to conduct a research priority setting project with the Indigenous community in the Fraser Salish Region. The multi-stakeholder team completed community engagement activities to identify priorities for cultural safety and humility in Fraser Health. The priorities are now being used to guide Fraser Health’s development, implementation, and evaluation of cultural safety and humility initiatives and further research funding opportunities are being explored.
The projects demonstrate successful development of multi-stakeholder teams led by Fraser Health-based researchers tackling issues that matter to all. To learn more about patient-oriented research, funding opportunities, and more see the Fraser Centre web page or visit bcsupportunit.ca.