Backgrounder: SEARCH Canada: A Unique Resource

Aligned with the Goals of the Health Community

The health system faces new challenges in the years ahead. While studies into the needs of the system have differed in some respects, broad consensus exists on the urgent need to use the best information available in future planning and delivery of health care. Health organizations increasingly recognize; however, that access to digitized health information alone does not guarantee better decisions. Rather, they need access to integrated, highly filtered information and knowledge. Communication and problem-solving aids are also required to ensure health-sector workers have the tools and skills required to obtain better information.

Within this framework for reform, an essential element is the development of programs that will train health system workers across the full spectrum of job responsibilities to frame questions that need to be answered to improve outcomes delivered by the system. Dynamic, high-stress technically advanced and knowledge-based environments such as the health system will have an absolute and urgent requirement for such research skills at many levels as near-term demands hit the system. The programs that must be in place to respond to system needs are called capacity building programs, and nowhere is there a stronger start at developing such a program than with SEARCH Canada’sprogram.

Only the SEARCH Program combines these features:

Offers, as a matter of entitlement, to all health regions in Alberta and the Department of Health and Wellness, an opportunity to select participants locally and inform their learning with organizational priorities.
Engages participants from a full range of disciplines. Participants have included nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists and physicians, as well as hospital, public health and government management personnel.
Integrates health research training with practical skills in information management, evidence-based decision-making and practice-based projects.
Integrates job-related skill development with an academic curriculum that addresses the full cycle of knowledge generation to application, through the three themes of Choosing, Creating and Using Evidence in Context.
Delivers a constantly updated curriculum through experienced faculty drawn from leading centres of learning across the province.
Delivers a leading-edge virtual network of knowledge resources and collaborative research tools.
Provides a focus on action-oriented, applied research and evaluation, addressing issues that will help decision makers find solutions that are both cost and results effective.
Develops, as an intentional outcome, a Collaborative Network that can be accessed by all health regions, universities and government, across a broad range of care providers and managers, providing a uniquely powerful tool to facilitate cooperation in researching and responding to issues across the system.
Responds in an expedited, broad-based and stakeholder-driven way to the urgent need to develop a more research-intensive health system.
Consults with managers and executives to determine priority research projects most relevant to the needs of the health system, region and government.
Responds to the context and needs of both rural and urban health regions, and organizations of all sizes.
Is perceived as a strong source of leadership development across the entire system so that health care in Alberta can benefit from “researchers at every level”, committed to and skilled in evidence-based practice.
Builds capacity that is broadly accessible through a neutral agency – rather than mediated by any single institution or health system group.

Aligned with the Goals of the Academic Community

SEARCH Canada provides a link between sectors involved in using and developing evidence to inform health and health care decisions. Through its programs, SEARCH Canada advocates for research, provides infrastructure support to build network capacity, and develops innovative academic relationships to design, develop, deliver and evaluate high-quality programs, applied research projects and knowledge services.

Since 1996, SEARCH has worked in partnership with Alberta’s academic institutions and health organizations to build a network of expertise for research and knowledge exchange at the local, regional and provincial levels, and to create mechanisms by which policy-responsive and applied research can be valued and supported.

This network continues to be a driving force for developing, implementing and testing innovation in health care, in response to local community needs and in collaboration with partners. The alliance with academic institutions is critical to advance applied learning and research. We are encouraged by the strong, collaborative relationships developed across Alberta’s academic community. These relationships are beginning to pay significant dividends – both in creating a culture of knowledge within Alberta’s health sector, and in generating a positive impact on health delivery as this knowledge is applied to practice.

Highly Qualified People

Ensuring connection between high quality foundational and advanced learning, as well as continuing competence of health and allied professionals. SEARCH participants are predominately non-traditional students from rural areas of Alberta. Over SEARCH Canada’s history, approximately 10 per cent of those participants choose to follow up their SEARCH experience by enrolling in graduate education within five years.
Providing roles, recognition and faculty mentorship for members committed to the application of research findings. Faculty have identified strong rewards from the community relevance, collegiality of a multi-institutional team, and strong relationships established with industry partners.
Creating potential to provide an established resource-rich environment for post-doctoral fellows, researchers, and visiting scholars.

Applied Learning

Integrating theoretical and empirical research conducted by university faculty with the emerging issues, needs and questions of the health managers and policy-makers.
Developing faculty with expertise in identifying and supporting evidence-based decision making in health care organizations.
Connecting with established and emerging leaders across Alberta’s health system responsible for using research to improve the health of Albertans.
Engaging mid-career professionals from diverse communities in the innovation and research endeavour, supports professionals in their advanced learning goals, and builds Alberta’s long-term research potential.
Using established feedback processes to evaluate, design, and implement new learning environments capable of linking decision makers, research, and leading edge technology.

Collaborative Networks and Partnerships

Maintaining collaborative relationships with every health region in Alberta, the Alberta Cancer Board, Government of Alberta, and health research funding agencies through joint governance and collaborative delivery of province-wide programs.
Identifying priority research questions at the local, regional and provincial level.
Linking to an active network of health professionals, with members embedded in health organizations from High Level in the north to Taber in the south, which can provide support to students, link research to decisions, and engage system leadership in research collaboration.

Professional Support

Working with faculty and managers to define and recognize the features that distinguish faculty community service as a distinctive kind of scholarship, requiring serious, disciplined work of ongoing value.
Connecting faculty to applied research opportunities.
Sustaining dialogue and exchange among academic and practice communities to mutual benefit.