AbSPORU details three data-driven innovations to address system-wide challenges that improve clinical outcomes, reduce low-value interventions, and strengthen health system sustainability.

Climate change is a crucial issue for healthcare operations. As climate change continues to intensify extreme weather events and air pollution, leaders in health are urgently working to ensure continuity of care in acute care settings.

The Co-Mentorship Program at the Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy was developed in partnership with the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit (AbSPORU) and the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, representing a compelling case study on how patient engagement can be embedded early in research careers and sustained and scaled with proper support.

AbSPORU supported NORS, the first service of its kind in Canada, through an implementation science lens to evaluate factors such as acceptability, safety, adoption, and satisfaction. A survey co-designed by individuals with lived experience of substance use, service operators, and researchers was sent to more than 11,000 Canadians to gather key perspectives from various stakeholder groups on this service.

Alberta’s health system is strengthening through the integration of implementation science at various stages of health system initiatives. Implementation science is a cornerstone of the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit (AbSPORU)’s services, and collaborations between health system partners and AbSPORU have yielded transformative outcomes in patient care and efficiency.

In a groundbreaking leap towards improving child health and wellness, the University of Calgary secured a historic $125 million investment from the Government of Canada via the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), augmented by additional partner funding to a total of $268 million. As a foundational partner, AbSPORU has committed nearly $400,000 in in-kind support to OCEC, which was crucial to securing the federal grant.

Training the next generation of researchers in patient-oriented research (POR) helps to ensure the sustainability of POR in Canada. The AbSPORU Graduate Studentship provides $30,000 in funding for research trainees enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral program to undertake research that both meaningfully engages patients and addresses their priorities.

Health system transformation in Alberta requires partnerships between stakeholders and effective program implementation. The Acute Care Bundle Improvement (ACBI) initiative is a key priority for Alberta Health Services and is being implemented at 14 major acute care sites across Alberta.

Ensuring that research incorporates the perspectives of patients with lived and living experience and views them as equal partners in the research enterprise is critical to having a health care system reflective of the priorities of patients, their families, caregivers, and community members.

AbSPORU provides a wide range of data services for researchers and decision-makers alike. Our innovative approaches to research have made us key data providers in Alberta. Excellent examples of this include a series of studies designed to improve our understanding of Long COVID and the BedMed project, a gamechanger in data collection in primary care.