BC’s Primary Health Care Research Network – Phase 1

Health Research BC is providing match funds for this research project, which is funded by CIHR’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations (PIHCI) Network initiative. 

BC’s Primary Health Care Research Network (BC-PHCRN) was launched in November 2013, and is one of 11 networks across Canada that have an initial focus on individuals with complex health needs for whom integrated care is critical to improve patient experience and health, health equity, and health system outcomes.

The BC-PHCRN is designed to support evidence-informed transformation of the delivery of primary and integrated health care, and its goal is to encourage, facilitate, and support collaborations between government, health authorities, health professionals, patients and researchers. The BC-PHCRN aims to seek out, develop, and facilitate adoption of health care innovations to improve BC’s health care delivery system.

As part of our work, the BC-PHCRN supports the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN), Canada’s first and only multi-disease electronic record surveillance system. CPCSSN is a multi-faceted tool, providing users with:

• Data for development and effective evaluation of Primary Care Networks and Patient Medical Homes.
• Quality improvement dashboard for physicians and other clinicians.
• Chronic disease surveillance across the clinic, provincial and national levels.
• The ability to support crucial primary care research in BC and in Canada.

The BC-PHCRN is led by a Tripartite Leadership, including the Science Lead, Dr. Sabrina Wong, Clinical co-Leads Drs. Fiona Duncan and Anne Junker, and Policy co-Leads, Shana Ooms and Heather Davidson.