The Methods Hub
Our Values:
- Promote the use of the best methods available to conduct patient-centred outcome research
- Enact the highest standards and scientific integrity
- Be collaborative, multi-disciplinary
What We Do:
The group conducts regular presentations, discussions, and writing of manuscripts and grants. Our group includes researchers from the all universities in Alberta. We collaborate with other groups, such as W21C, APPROACH, WHO, and work closely with local stakeholders (Alberta Health Services Strategic Clinical Networks). Alongside this collaboration we also have projects within specific research areas that fall under The Methods Hub. These areas include the Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR), World Health Organization Collaborating Centre (WHO-CC), Hypertension Canada Outcomes Research Task Force (ORTF), Libin Institute Analysis Centre, and International Methodology Consortium for Coded Health Information (IMECCHI).
The Methods Hub Activities and Events
The ‘Tools for Better Health’ Podcast series is aimed at anyone with an interest in health research methods to improve health and health care. The podcast covers a wide range of topics from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, including: Data sources and how to access them; Data Quality Issues; New Software Programs; Methods for Patient-Centred Care; and New Epidemiological and Biostatistical Methods. Our podcast authors are international researchers and experts as well as those based in Alberta and at the University of Calgary. For each podcast, a brief description of the episode as well as a biography of the author and the podcast learning objectives will be listed on the Methods Hub website.
We hold informal LunchBox sessions about 2 times per month as well as additional special seminars and joint sessions with other groups, where invited speakers share their knowledge and expertise on various health research methodologies and tools from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The LunchBox sessions generally run on Wednesdays from 12-1 pm.
Training sessions focus on providing hands-on applications of research methods. Participants learn from various researchers of different backgrounds and expertise about latest analysis, findings from methods use, introduction to new and emerging methods and share topics for discussion. See the Methods Hub website for more information.
The overriding goal of Campus Alberta Health Outcomes and Public Health is to produce synergies and collaboration among provincial stakeholders in health outcomes and public health. Participating partners seek to align creativity, expertise, educational programs, and research platforms toward the common goal of internationally-leading innovation in the domains of health outcomes and public health.
We were successful in both 2012 and 2013 with applications for funding to support a pan-Alberta gathering of stakeholders in Health Outcomes and Public Health through the Campus Alberta initiative. Both of these funding opportunities allowed us to meet with provincial decision makers and colleagues to discuss future research focus for our methodology group.
Patient-centred care is defined by the Institute of Medicine as “providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions”[1]. How can we measure patient-centred care? Traditionally healthcare systems have been mainly monitored from physician perspectives. The measures from patient perspectives have not been routinely integrated into the evaluation of healthcare system performance.
Patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs) facilitate patient-centric measurements of health outcomes and quality of care. PROMs and PREMs are validated questionnaires that place the values and perspectives of the patient at the center. While PROMs are concerned with the outcomes of a patient’s health condition or disability, PREMs are concerned with their experiences with healthcare delivery.
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Measuring Patient Centred-Care Forum
Traditionally, healthcare systems have been mainly monitored from physician perspectives. Numerous indicators have been developed for monitoring outcomes of procedures, drugs and settings of care. The measures from patient perspectives have not been routinely integrated into the evaluation of healthcare system performance. Patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs) facilitate patient-centric measurements of health outcomes and quality of care. PROMs and PREMs are validated questionnaires that place the perspectives of the patient at the center.
In Canada there is a diversity of PROMs and PREMs used. This heterogeneity impedes benchmarking across institutions and provinces. In addition, standardized approaches for linkage of PROMs and PREMs data with electronic health records (EHRs) is far from present.
Our goal is to produce guidance for Canadian decision makers on where and how best to utilize PROMs and PREMs data to improve the quality of patient care.
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Objectives
We will stage a meeting at the University of Calgary that invites national experts, patients, key stakeholders and the health research community:
1) To share knowledge on national experiences regarding collection and utilization of PROMs and PREMs;
2) To explore the selection and collection of PROM and PREM data
3) To explore a strategy for data linkage through development of a national PROMs database and integration in EHRs
Additionally we will present on the “actual landscape of PROMs in Alberta” which is output from our successful Campus Alberta 2013 meeting grant.
Performance Measurement & Improvement, BC Ministry
of Health Co-Chair, BC Patient Reported Experience Measures Steering Committee (BCPREMS) PROMs and PREMs in AHS: Measurement and Dissemination Strategies Carolyn De Coster, PhD, RN
Executive Director, Primary Data Support and Clinical
Analytics, Analytics (DIMR), Alberta Health Services Demonstrating the Value of Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Primary Care [Not presented] Scott Oddie, PhD
Director, Primary Care Research, Primary health Care,
Applied Research and Evaluation Services, Alberta
Health Services
Health Research Collaborative Chair, RDC The HQCA: Overview, PREMs, PROMs and Patient Engagement Activities Markus Lahtinen
Tim Cooke
Carmella Steinke Patient-Centred Oriented Research: An Environmental Scan on the Use of Patient-Reported Outcome
Measures in Alberta - Methods for Research in Public Health Group (MORE-PH) Danielle Southern, Programmer/Analyst
MORE-PH The Role of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Clinical Practice Maria J. Santana, PhD Utilizing Patient Reported Outcomes to Drive Person- Centred Care Across CancerControl Alberta Shannon Groff, PRO Coordinator (presenter)
Linda Watson, Initiative Lead
Andrea Williams, Program Assistant
Joy Fu, Data/Outcome Lead
Louise Smith, Business Analyst Using PROMs & PREMs to Impact Clinical Care Christopher Smith
Alberta Bone & Joint Health Institute Measuring Patient-Centred Care Integration of PROMs/ PREMs into EHRs Francis Lau, PhD, FCAHS
University of Victoria The Validation and Utilization of PROMs and PREMs for Health Services and Clinical Practice Rick Sawatzky, PhD, RN
Canada Research Chair in Patient-Reported Outcomes Patient and Family Burden of Management:
We need new knowledge Charles Leduc, MD, MSc, FCFP
Head, Academic Department of Family Medicine
Cumming School of Medicine Hidden Pathways Study: Enriching PROMs and PREMs? Sandra Zelinsky, Yvette Swendson & Chris Hylton
Our Team
To be on our mailing list and learn about our bi-monthly journal club please email us at themethodshub@ucalgary.ca