L-R: Erin Selby, Manitoba Minister of Health; Dr. Terry Klassen, Academic Director (CHI); Rona Ambrose, Federal Minister of Health; Dr. Alain Beaudet, President CIHR; Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President, (Research & International) (U of M); Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament (Winnipeg South). PHOTO: dan gwozdz
Translating the acronym TREKK is a growing network of researchers, clinicians, national organizations and health consumers who share the same goal – to improve emergency care for children across Canada. The network is supported by CHI’s Knowledge Translation (KT) platform – one of seven platforms within Manitoba’s recently established Support for People and PatientOriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Unit funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research through Canada’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research. TREKK reports up to 85 per cent of Canadian kids in need of emergency care are managed in a general emergency department and close to 40 per cent aren’t receiving treatment for which clear evidence exists; up to 20 per cent of our nation’s children receive treatment that has been shown to provide zero benefit and in some cases cause harm. This knowledge mobilization initiative is a partnership and exchange between over 30 general emergency departments across Canada and members of Pediatric Emergency Research Canada, Pediatric Emergency Research Networks (an international collaborative) and Knowledge Translation Canada.
Bridging the gap According to Kristy Wittmeier, director of the KT platform, bringing in moms or dads, patients or members of the public can often provide a different lens. “They see things that we don’t see and they say it in a way that we might not say it and can relate it more easily to other people.” Researchers come up with projects they want opinions and expertise on, she explains. “Once I have that information, I bring these two groups together and that’s when the magic happens. We ask parents on the topic of croup – for example – ‘What info do you need or want at your fingertips?’” During one of their assignments the group was asked to review the TREKK website. “We wanted to know what makes a site credible. We asked the group to go to the site and not just read it but really believe it,” recalls Wittmeier. “We asked, ‘How can we present our research knowledge in a way that could be useful? What are you interested in finding out? When we do find out, how can we tell you in a way that’s useful?’” Hickes shares how she feels the opportunity to be part of the group is beyond incredible, “I can say 100 per cent that our children are being very well cared for and we’re lucky. We have these amazing people who are working very hard to see what works best and then implement it.” Wittmeier is quick to point out, “you’re not just seeing it, you’re helping shape it.” A single mom with kids now in their 20s, Hickes remembers what it was like as a parent dealing with a child suffering of a chronic condition. “It can be tiring to be your child’s advocate. When you’re done in the ED, where do you go for your own care? Simply clicking on the TREKK website and realizing ‘Oh, this is normal. Ok I feel better,’ helps. Because you feel like you’re the one and only case and that’s an awful, scary feeling.” The parents meet four times a year or as needed. “We have a list of questions and an agenda that we work through but it’s basically us sitting back and listening as much as we can because they are the experts in this scenario,” Wittmeier explains. The goal is to make research meaningful for people who would access those services. “We want patients to be engaged and to be involved in every step of that process,” she adds. Parents offer the “lived experience” that can really help guide researchers. Wittmeier says the feedback lets investigators know if they’re on the right track.
Funding better outcomes for tomorrow It’s through research that a huge impact has been made in health care. “One of the most dramatic examples that I know of relates to acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Going back 50 years ago, most kids died,” says Klassen. “Through research and doing trials, we now have 80 per cent of kids who survive. There needs to be other examples of that and there will be, if we invest as a society.” The federal and provincial governments agree. In February 2014 Rona Ambrose, Federal Minister of Health and Erin Selby, Manitoba Minister of Health announced $22.4 million in funding ($11.2M from each level of government over a five-year period) to launch the Manitoba SUPPORT Unit for patientoriented research. “Our Government is committed to improving the health-care system and patient care through research and innovation. Through the Strategy for PatientOriented Research, we will bring research evidence and innovation to the front lines of health care, for the benefit of all Canadian patients,” said Minister Ambrose. Knowledge Translation (KT) – which focuses on engaging patients and parents like Serena Hickes – is one of the seven platforms within the SUPPORT Unit housed at the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation. The research infrastructure will provide guidance, support and services to researchers and clinicians looking to improve the quality and quantity of clinical research in Manitoba, ultimately accelerating the integration of research findings into practice. The platforms, which include: KT, Knowledge Synthesis, Project Management, Data Science, Health Systems Performance, Evaluation and Clinical Trials, will work interchangeably with each other to develop projects that will challenge and transform the health care system. (Check out: www.chimb.ca to learn more on each platform.) “Five years from now, it would be lovely if we could show in a very clear way how we’ve improved the health system of Manitobans. That’s maybe sometimes tough but I hope we’ll have some very demonstrable ways of showing that impact,” says Klassen, also Scientific Director of the Manitoba Institute of Child Health (MICH) and a pediatric emergency specialist.
According to Hickes, they are. “I hope readers understand that researchers, parents and professionals can all work together and learn from each other.”
FACULTY NEWS
MB medicine | summer 2014
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