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Establishment & History
This Health System-Linked Research Unit was established in 1989
and is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health, co-sponsored
by the
University of Ottawa (Department of Epidemiology and Community
Medicine and the School of Nursing) and the former Ottawa -Carleton
Health
Department, now the City of Ottawa People Services. Initially,
investigators and research associates at the CHRU came from both
the University
of Ottawa and the City of Ottawa. Over the years, investigators
and research associates from other institutions have also contributed
to the work of CHRU.
Visions, Values & Principles
- To continue to develop extensive research, practice, and policy
networks; substantial expertise in well-established programs of research;
and approaches to dissemination that improve service delivery and
strengthen policy;
- To provide an environment that strongly supports educating the
next generation of community health researchers in Ontario;
- To address community health issues across a wide
variety of settings;
- To inform the process of restructuring and retooling our
health care system for the next millennium; and
- To better understand the impact and synergy of multiple
public health interventions at multiple system levels.
Core Goals
- Public health is a vital contributor to the health of people
at all system levels;
- Advancements in public health require evidence-based
practice;
building community self-care and collective-care capacity is
important;and
- Community health practice, research and policy are trans-disciplinary
in nature.
Successes/ Outcomes
Key Successes:
- Well-established programs of research in a number of key areas relevant to community health and primary care throughout the province.
- Well-established programs of research looking at understanding and optimizing the impact and synergy of multiple public health interventions at multiple system levels.
- Development and sustaining of solid programs of research informing practice, programs, and policy.
- Sustained commitment of both partners to the research unit despite funding challenges, health care restructuring, and staff changes.
- Involvement of service providers and program managers on research teams helping to ensure relevance of our projects and programs.
- A strong network of regional, provincial, and national research partners for the development and implementation of joint research initiatives and the dissemination of research findings.
- Demonstrated impact on practice, program design and evaluation and policy at regional, provincial, and national levels.
- A comprehensive set of dissemination strategies tailored to the use of various target groups.
- Innovative and successful knowledge transfer strategies resulting in changes to practice, program, and policy.
- Increasing the receptor capacity for community health research findings in public health agencies.
Challenges
- Year to year funding affects staffing, planning of research and what types of longitudinal research can be done. This has encouraged the CHRU to look for alternate sources of funding. Another strategy is developing a good relationship and keeping in touch with funders to ensure that they are aware of CHRU’s activities, how the unit adds value and that the unit is responsive to their needs.
- Working through the balance between practitioners’ needs
and academic needs and learning to work together in a transdisciplinary
way has required a willingness to work together and take the time
required to understand each other’s perspectives. However,
the awareness and commitment of all partners to this process has
resulted in a generally successful meeting of minds, methods, and
integration of results.
Director:
Administrative Coordinator to Nancy Edwards:
CHRU Staff Members:
University of Ottawa (CHRU) Investigators:
University of Ottawa (CHRU) Associates:
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