Research Priorities

The BC-PHCRN has identified four research priorities.

Priority 1: Optimizing community primary health care service delivery, including:

  • Assessing the relative effectiveness of community primary health care service governance options (e.g. government/health authorities, non-profit societies, Divisions of Family Practice)
  • Assessing the relative effectiveness of integrated primary health care delivery models and service organization (e.g. traditional family practice, community health centers, models of in-home care for chronic disease; comprehensive team-based and collaborative care models, etc.)
  • Assessing the relative effectiveness of funding mechanisms, in both urban and rural settings (e.g. cost and outcome comparisons for fee-for service, capitation, blended funding, etc.; lowering system level per capita costs, etc.)
  • Determining how to best optimize service integration and coordination across community primary health care services, with special attention to children, adults and elderly with complex /chronic health needs (e.g. community models of care for frail seniors and children with complex care requirements)
  • Determining how to best utilize multidisciplinary teams (e.g. provider roles and responsibilities and competency requirements; use of lay providers, traditional healers, and paraprofessionals in management of chronic disease)
  • Determining how to best increase access and strengthen the interface/improve transitions between primary and specialist care and treatment with special attention to non-urban/rural geographical areas (e.g. strategies to improve access to medical and surgical specialty consultation and treatment)
  • Determining how to improve transitions from hospital and facilities to community based primary health care and community supports, including utilization of appropriate care pathways, with special attention to non-urban/rural geographical areas (e.g. models to support hospital transition’ medication reconciliation with transfers to home and community).

Priority 2: Improving patient experience and cultural appropriateness across the primary health care system (e.g. culturally appropriate interventions for prevention or management of chronic disease; use of multi-cultural health workers; cultural competency training).

Priority 3: Developing an adequate primary care workforce including determining future demand for a range of providers and optimal roles and scope, and supporting optimal provider experience (e.g. specialized nursing practices in chronic care management; pharmacist interventions in chronic disease; improving chronic disease care and outcomes with nurse practitioners).

BC Priority 4: Enhancing optimal access, utilization and continuity of patient information both across providers within the primary health care system and with other levels of care across the health system.