New funding to a Pan-Canadian research network supports quality palliative care across the country
11/17/2021
OTTAWA, [November 17, 2021]. Since its inception in 2017, the Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative (PCPCRC) has grown into a network of over 100 researchers and health care, community, and policy stakeholders who are working to improve outcomes for Canadians with life-threatening and life-limiting illness.
Today, the PCPCRC is pleased to announce the receipt of $2.5 million in funding from Health Canada through the Health Care Policy and Strategies Program. This funding will help support 14 projects across the country that focus on advancing palliative care initiatives from new therapies to new models of care delivery.
“We hope that this funding for the PCPCRC will catalyze the development and implementation of new means of meeting the palliative care needs of all Canadians. By building on our initial success, we hope that the PCPCRC will help Canada become a world leader in Palliative Care.” said Dr. James Downar, co-chair of the PCPCRC, Head of the Division of Palliative Care at the University of Ottawa, and investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute.
This first-of-its-kind network is doing strategic, high-impact, and cross-collaborative palliative care research with a focus on clinical practice, health service delivery, and standardized data collection to improve patient and caregiver experiences of palliative and end-of-life care in Canada. Bringing research, health care, and community together across the country is a powerful opportunity to collaborate and share information so all Canadians may benefit.
“Canada has been at the forefront of palliative care for more than 50 years, but still too few have access to early palliative care services within their community,” said Dr. Bruno Gagnon, co-chair of the PCPCRC and Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the Université Laval. “Understanding how we can better identify palliative needs for patients not only improves their quality of life, but relieves pressure on caregivers.”
Several projects under the PCPCRC banner will develop new models and tools to improve patient and caregiver experiences in equitable ways. Others will focus on studying new medications and therapies for symptoms that impact quality of life. In the wake of COVID-19, researchers will be assessing the impacts to care, grief, and bereavement, and applying lessons learned to future care delivery.
“The Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative is an important network of expertise and researchers, and this funding will support a variety of projects to help improve patient and caregiver experiences,” said The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Health. “This funding is an important foundational piece in improving access to and quality of palliative care for Canadians, and to ensure it is there if and when they need it.”
ABOUT PCPCRC
The Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative (PCPCRC) is a group of practice-focused researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders pursuing and supporting programs of research relevant to palliative care. The PCPCRC is a venue for research, health care, and community to collaborate on palliative care research to benefit Canadians with life-threatening and life-limiting illness. Establishing the network would not have been possible without the early support of the Canadian Frailty Network, Pallium Canada, Healthcare Excellence Canada, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians, the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, and the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care.
This first-of-its-kind network is setting a foundation to do strategic, high-impact, and cross-collaborative palliative care research with a focus on:
- Applied health services research
- Palliative and end-of-life care during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
- Testing and implementing novel therapeutics
Media Contact
Jasmine Rooke
Communications Coordinator
Bruyère Research Institute
JRooke@bruyere.org