The Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) program at Fraser Health recently formed a research unit to provide strategic oversight and direction for the conduct of research. In order to foster a collaborative model that considers the perspectives of people with lived;living experiences (PWLLEs) in the identification of MHSUâs research priorities, we aim to convene a diverse group of PWLLEs, clinicians, and researchers. We will work with BC SUPPORT Unit and a patient engagement expert to facilitate the recruitment of diverse PWLLEs. These PWLLEs will work closely with two clinicians and the Research Lead to form the priority setting group and set a research agenda for the program. The group will meet monthly for a 9-month period to discuss and prioritize research ideas and ad-hoc requests submitted to the research unit. Following the initial 9-month period, we will conduct interviews with members to evaluate the priority setting process, including potential barriers and facilitators to PWLLE engagement. The proposed activities will act as a proof-of-concept model for patient-centred research and priority setting at MHSU, with the potential for continued, long-term adoption by the MHSU leadership team if found to be successful.
Program: Convening and Collaborating Awards
Planning for Implementing a 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse Role in the BC Health System: Promoting Equity in Our Communities
It is well-established that Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual (2SLGBTQIA+) people are subject to discrimination within healthcare settings, leading to poor health outcomes. In fact, these instances of discrimination are growing in context of rising hate toward the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. In response, the Island Health Authority has recently launched a revolutionary role: the 2SLGBTQIA+ Liaison Nurse. This Liaison Nurse works directly with 2SLGBTQIA+ patients in the healthcare system to support: navigating the system, advocating for services, ensuring a safe and respectful healthcare encounter, and accessing gender-affirming care. Our larger project will involve scaling up and implementing this role across additional healthcare sites in BC, and evaluating the role to ensure safe, quality, and equitable care for 2SLGBTQIA+ people across the province. Funding through a C2 grant will support bringing together health authority, community, and researcher representatives to develop a comprehensive research plan for implementing and evaluating this role. In particular, funds will support a 2-Day Intensive in Vancouver to support necessary conversations in support of the projectâs next steps.
Co-creating a research roadmap for an innovative virtual health delivery model to recruit and retain health workforce in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.
People living in rural, remote, and Indigenous (RRI) communities face a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases yet have limited access to healthcare services. Often, this is due to shortages of healthcare workers in such areas. A rapid shift towards virtual care is markedly influencing how people access healthcare. However, adoption of digital technologies without consideration for health equity risks creating further disparities in health outcomes. Two novel virtual health programs have deployed âhybridâ approaches to health service delivery by blending in-person and team-based virtual care. These services honour relational virtual support built on collaboration, empathy, and cultural safety. A group of researchers, and research-users have formed the Hybrid Care Research Collaborative with the goal of integrating research within âhybrid careâ programs to understand the needs of healthcare providers and community members in RRI areas. This data-driven approach will enable the development of interventions and policies incorporating local knowledge and cultural perspectives. Our proposed planning activities will advance interprofessional rural health research and inform a long-term research agenda with community partners.
Seizing the Window of Opportunity: Co-creating an Enhanced Prenatal Care Program to Build Resilience among Socially Vulnerable Populations
Being pregnant can bring extra challenges, especially for people who are struggling financially and socially. It can make them feel stressed and less able to respond to catastrophic events such as pandemics, family illness and climate change.
Caring for this population is especially challenging now with fewer maternity providers in the province. There is currently no specifically designed program for socially vulnerable pregnant people. Around the world, programs supported by Community Health Workers (CHWs) have made it easier for people to get healthcare, help them stay healthy, and improve their social situations, but less is known about how they could be used in BC.
This project unites researchers, providers, CHWs and pregnant individuals with diverse identities, especially multiethnic and low-income, including new immigrants and refugees in Vancouver.
Together, we will explore:
What are the most important areas to include in a CHW-supported prenatal and postnatal program?
What could improve the delivery and satisfaction of the program?
How could success be measured?
We wish to hear what is important to people to create programs that can elevate the experience of pregnancy for those facing challenging social situations.
Collaborative Planning of an Evaluation Framework for Peer Involvement in Cannabis Substitution within a Managed Alcohol Program
This project will bring together diverse stakeholders to plan an evaluation of peer involvement in the High Hopes Cannabis Substitution Program at Drinkers’ Lounge. During a one-day facilitated workshop, a planning committee including peer workers, MAP participants, staff, and researchers will co-develop an evaluation framework and a plan for moving forward with research activities. The committee will identify priority research questions, outcomes, indicators, and data collection methods, emphasizing principles of community-based participatory research and cultural safety.
This project aims to build partnerships for community-driven research, generate a comprehensive evaluation plan grounded in lived experience perspectives, and produce insights on best practices for meaningful peer engagement in harm reduction programs. Outputs will include a collaborative research agreement, final report, and funding proposal to implement the evaluation. These activities will contribute to the evidence base on community-led solutions to the opioid crisis, refinement and scale-up of peer-involved cannabis-enhanced MAPs, and improving health outcomes for MAP participants.
Evaluating Wolvesâ Den: A traumatic brain injury-focussed peer support and education group
Do you know someone affected by a traumatic brain injury (TBI)? In Canada, about 1 in 50 people live with brain injuries, dramatically altering lives and making navigation through the healthcare system challenging. Further, many survivors lack the necessary support from family and peers, which makes the recovery journey difficult. The Wolvesâ Den, part of the Brain Changes Initiative, is a peer support and education group dedicated to improving the lives of TBI survivors. It promotes six pillars of brain health: exercise, cognitive training, mindfulness, nutrition, sleep, and reducing harmful exposures. Here, TBI survivors can share stories, meets experts, and learn how to enhance their recovery. This project aims to evaluate and expand the Wolvesâ Den program. We aim to conduct a comprehensive assessment to evaluate Wolvesâ Den. This includes qualitative and quantitative methods to collect feedback from members, refine the program, and improve offerings. The funding will also support expert sessions, facilitation, the creation of TBI-accessible session recaps, and outreach to attract more participants. Our goal is to ensure the program remains a leading resource for TBI recovery, continually adapting to meet community needs.
Convening and Collaborating to Assess Mental Health Needs in the Filipino Community
Filipino people are a growing population in Canada. However, there is limited information available on the mental health of this population, including the factors and conditions that shape mental health outcomes, help-seeking, and access to care. This proposed project will bring together researchers, research users, and community members to co-identify research and knowledge mobilization gaps and priorities in enhancing the mental health of Filipino communities in British Columbia, Canada. Through the convening and collaborating activities outlined in this proposed work, our team will co-develop research that is directly informed by community perspectives and experiences.
STBBI Priorities for Small Urban, Rural and Remote BC Communities: Research and Evaluation Summit
In the context of the drug supply poisoning public health emergency in BC, PAN has led the Small Urban, Rural, and Remote (SURR) Harm Reduction Project to set priorities for sexually transmitted and blood borne infection (STBBI) harm reduction action in smaller BC communities, with participation from leaders in harm reduction, including people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) of substance use and HIV, community organizations, health authorities, and researchers. Overdose deaths are overrepresented in rural communities and strategies need to be tailored to communities to be effective.
Building on previous SURR meetings, this Summit will allow attendees to consider their experiences with research and evaluation initiatives, discuss successful and promising approaches, define future research priorities, and discuss potential common outcome measures. By bringing together people with diverse perspectives, we will encourage collaboration and creative problem solving to identify emerging challenges and opportunities and create space for new ideas to lead to collective impact. The Summit will offer a structured environment to develop a set of research and evaluation priorities for funding opportunities.
Pregnancy Loss Rates in British Columbia, Canada: Pathways to Improved Care for Patients and Families Impacted by Pregnancy Loss
Approximately 15â25% of pregnancies end in miscarriage; however, actual numbers are unknown in Canada. In addition, data for various other pregnancy losses (e.g., ectopic pregnancies) is currently not disseminated in British Columbia (BC). As a result, services have not been developed to meet the growing populationâs need for integrated health care following pregnancy loss. This project will identify health system improvements to more accurately reflect BCâs pregnancy loss rates and the health care needs of patients and families. The project has three phases: (1) an evaluation of pregnancy loss data in BC, (2) conversations with patient partners and health care providers, and (3) the co-development of pregnancy loss care resources, alongside patient partners and health care providers, for use within the provincial health authorities. This C2 application is for Phases 1 and 2 of the project. The team will convene and collaborate with patient partners and health care providers to review pregnancy loss rates in BC and identify critically needed pregnancy loss resources and future research prioritiesâa critical step to designing pregnancy loss care services that meet the needs of BCâs growing and diverse populations.
Healthy Aging Among Trans People Using Hormone Therapy: Setting the Research Agenda
Although trans people have always existed, with improved clinical care, growing numbers of trans people who have accessed gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) are reaching middle age and beyond. We know little about what to expect or how to optimize health for midlife trans people using GAHT. Better understanding the science of these midlife health experiences can reduce disparities faced by trans people, and possibly offer insights to improve well-being of cisgender people experiencing troubling midlife hormonal symptoms.
This proposed project will be a 1-year process of convening researchers, trainees, and knowledge users to collaboratively develop an agenda for research priorities, methods, language, and other key elements of science into the well-being of aging trans individuals using GAHT.
This 1-year project has 6 steps:
1. The Core Team will draft discussion guide.
2. Expert Advisory Committee will meet and develop draft research priorities.
3. Broader Community Survey will elicit feedback on draft priorities.
4. Core Team will analyze survey and revise research priorities.
5. Expert Advisory Committee will review and refine this revision.
6. We will share findings with the community, clinicians, and researchers.