Health Human Resources Research Program

In September 2008, the MSFHR Board of Directors approved a recommendation from the HSPRSN Steering Council to focus remaining HSPRSN funds (about $4.5 million) on health human resources research in the three subtheme areas identified as priorities: ways to better employ existing providers, new models of staffing and new models of practice.

Read about the extensive consultation leading up to this recommendation: HSPRSN Program Evolution

In December 2008, HSPRSN issued a request for proposals (RFP) from health researchers or organizations to undertake a literature review and synthesis to gain further insight into what knowledge and research capacity currently exists in relation to three health human resource priority sub-themes. Following a review of the proposals, HSPRSN contracted with a BC group lead by Dr. Sabrina Wong, UBC, Dr. Martha MacLeod, UNBC and Vicky Farrally, Praxis Management to conduct the environmental scan, literature review and synthesis. The report was delivered in June, 2009.

Health Human Resource Scoping Literature Review and Synthesis (PDF)

In addition, HSPRSN partnered with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) in funding a scoping exercise on health human resources productivity, undertaken by UBC researchers Dr. Robert G. Evans, Dr. David Schneider and Dr. Morris Barer. The report was delivered in July, 2009 and will be available by the end of the year.

A key finding from both reviews was that while many innovations have and continue to take place in how health human resources are deployed in the health system, very few are documented or evaluated, particularly with respect to their impact on health outcomes.
In November, 2009 the HSPRSN Steering Council approved the following recommendations for action on the health human resources priority area.

• Develop a template and fund the documentation of key innovations in health human resources deployment that have taken place in the BC health system in the last five years that:
  • Are relevant and can be generalized to other jurisdictions
  • Demonstrate impact on health human resources productivity and health outcomes
  • Cover the range of geographies, taking into consideration that the nature and specifics of health human resources innovation in urban and rural/remote settings may be quite different, with particular attention to: the shift of acute care from the hospital to community settings; interdisciplinary teams and inter-professional collaboration, including Integrated Health Networks; use of Lean methodologies; and applied health-related technology/telehealth
• Identify HHR-related innovations in these areas that are expected to have significant effects on health care system efficiency and patient outcomes that are pending, in early stages of implementation or are being expanded from one or more BC health authorities into one or more BC health authorities. Provide funding and resources to assess and communicate the effects of these innovations on the health care system and particularly on health outcomes.
• Identify gaps in knowledge or areas where further research is needed. Develop programs to support primary research in these areas.
• Look for opportunities and build capacity as required to participate in and leverage national initiatives/funding to address BC health human resources needs.

Staff will develop funding mechanisms (including exploring partnership options and developing program guidelines and funding projections) for review and endorsement by the Steering Council in March, 2010.  Funding projections for endorsed programs will go forward for MSFHR Board approval as part of the fiscal 2010/11 budget process.

Last updated December 1, 2009