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Finding better ways to bring health research to life: World-leading Centre for Implementation Research opens at The Ottawa Hospital


January 18, 2018


Researchers regularly make discoveries that have the potential to improve patient care and quality of life. However, getting those findings adopted by health-care systems can be a challenge.

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are already world leaders in addressing this global challenge, and they are now poised to make an even greater impact with the launch of the hospital’s Centre for Implementation Research. The new Centre will redefine how research is translated into practice, with the goal of improving health both in Ottawa and around the world. It officially launched today with a symposium involving nearly 100 researchers, health-care providers and government representatives.

“If we want to realize the full benefits of health research, we need to do a better job of implementing research findings,” said Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw, Director of The Ottawa Hospital’s Centre for Implementation Research, senior scientist at the hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa. “This means using theories and best practices from fields such as psychology, sociology, economics and nursing to understand the barriers to research implementation and to develop and test solutions.”

The Centre for Implementation Research is made up of 14 scientists from diverse disciplines. They work together with clinicians, policy-makers and patients to study the factors, processes and outcomes of implementing research in health-care environments.

Two members of the Centre, Dr. Grimshaw and Dr. David Moher, were recently named among “the world’s most influential scientific minds”. This distinction places them in the top 0.05 percent of the estimated 7.8 million full-time researchers worldwide.

“The Ottawa Hospital’s Centre for Implementation Research is unique internationally, and we’re very proud to host such an innovative and interdisciplinary group of scientists,” said Dr. Duncan Stewart, Executive Vice-President of Research at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa. “Their work has benefited patients at The Ottawa Hospital and around the world.”

Highlights from the Centre for Implementation Research include:

• Dr. Dawn Stacey and her team maintain the world’s largest inventory of patient decision aids, used by patients and health-care providers at The Ottawa Hospital and around the world. Her research has found that the use of patient decision aids is associated with better quality decisions and a better decision-making process with no disadvantages for patients or the health-care system.

• Dr. Jamie Brehaut developed 15 tips for giving feedback to health-care providers, based on what is most likely to change practice. This tool has been adopted by provincial, national and international health organizations.

• Dr. David Moher has developed checklists that have been adopted by thousands of scientific journals to improve how research results are reported. He is also a leader in the fight against predatory journals.

• Dr. Ian Graham’s knowledge-to-action framework is one of the most widely used to guide changes in clinical practice. He is internationally recognized for the implementation theory and tools he has developed to ensure research is considered when decisions are made about Canadians’ health.

• Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw is a world-renowned expert in systematic reviews, clinical guidelines and knowledge translation. His research has reduced the use of inappropriate lab testing among family physicians and improved the management of chronic diseases like asthma, angina and stroke.

Research at the Centre for Implementation Research is possible because of generous support from the community for Research to Improve Patient Care at The Ottawa Hospital. Members have also been awarded research grants from organizations such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit, Canadian Cancer Society, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, The UK National Institutes of Health Research and The European Union. Scientists in the Centre for Implementation Research are also working with the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, Cancer Care Ontario, Choosing Wisely Canada and Health Quality Ontario to bring state-of-the-art implementation science approaches to their work.

The Centre for Implementation Research is located within the Centre for Practice-Changing Research at The Ottawa Hospital’s General Campus. It is part of the hospital’s Clinical Epidemiology Program.

The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion

The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas

The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

Media Contact

Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca