Since Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) was first established in 2011, a lot has changed in our health systems and health research ecosystem. In 2023-24, SPOR Partners including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), provincial health research funders and other contributors engaged SPOR communities across the country to gather input on the program and how to improve it moving forward.
This document reflects what we heard through the engagement process to inform a refresh of SPOR across the following key themes:
- Strengths and Challenges for the Program Overall;
- Important Trends and Emerging Needs of the Future;
- Delivering on Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action and Accelerating First Nations, Métis and Inuit Self-Determination in Health Research through SPOR;
- Strengthening Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility in Patient Engagement and Patient-Oriented Research;
- Building Capacity for Excellence in Patient-Oriented Research;
- Strengthening Collaboration with Policymakers and Health Services to Increase Research Impact; and
- Strengthening Governance for Canada’s SPOR.
This community input will be used by the SPOR Refresh Steering Committee to inform recommendations to CIHR and other SPOR partners on future directions for Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research.
We are sharing this rich information with the community as a source of patient and community input that can be considered in other related research discussions.