2023 Priority-Setting Exercise

The SPOR Evidence Alliance is happy to announce the successful completion of the 2023 Patient and Public Health Research Topic Priority-Setting exercise. This marks an important milestone in our commitment to engaging patients and the public in shaping health research landscape in Canada.

An impressive 15-member steering panel comprising of patients and public members alongside health system decision-makers with diverse knowledge and experiences ranked and deliberated on 63 unique topics (87 submissions) submitted by patients and public members from across Canada. To ensure rigour and systematic selection process, we employed a modified James Lind Alliance Priority-Setting Partnerships approach in identifying the 20 highest priority topics to be funded by the SPOR Evidence Alliance.

Each topic was prioritized based on the following key factors:

1. Impact: We evaluated each topic’s clinical, economic, and population-related effects, to prioritize research areas with highest potential for value-add to the Canadian health system.
2. Unmet Need and Evidence Gap: We assessed the extent to which each topic addressed existing gaps in knowledge and potential areas for advancement.
3. Uniqueness: We considered each topic based on the current health research landscape to avoid duplicating existing or ongoing research efforts and ensuring that the selected topics will uncover new knowledge.
4. Timeliness and Importance: With emphasis on current health system landscape, we prioritized topics that address urgent or emerging healthcare challenges.

Read more about the top 20 health research topics below (listed in alphabetical order). These carefully chosen topics are aimed at addressing current and pressing healthcare and health system gaps, aligning with our mission to prioritize issues of utmost importance to the community. Each funded research project will be co-led by patients and members of the public, working hand in hand with a dedicated SPOR Evidence Alliance research team. We hope this will ensure that research outcomes are both scientifically robust and reflect patient experiences and perspectives.

Revisions made to the topic priority list

Please note the following updates made to the list of 20 patient-driven priority topics:

Topics Removed	Topics Added Based on the Next Highest Ranking
Minority and diverse representation in policy-making Knowledge user not eligible.	Accountability tools and procedures of clinical and home care settings for older adults
Shared decision-making tools for patients in clinical settings This topic has been studied in the following publications already: 1. Shared decision‐making interventions for people with mental health conditions 2. Consumers’ and health providers’ views and perceptions of partnering to improve health services design, delivery and evaluation: a co‐produced qualitative evidence synthesis	Financial schemes to increase accessibility of health services for people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage

Stay tuned for updates as we continue on this patient and public-driven research journey.

1. Accountability tools and procedures of clinical and home care settings for older adults
2. Arts and activities for older adults and/or those with chronic diseases
3. Biologics and biosimilars for people with rheumatoid arthritis
4. Caregivers and care practitioners’ knowledge of hospice and palliative care
5. Cost-effectiveness of home care versus assisted living facilities for individuals requiring additional supports
6. Detection of human trafficking in clinical settings
7. Digital health literacy for older adults
8. Digital health technology for patient education
9. Digital patient portals for people with cancer
10. Financial schemes to increase accessibility of health services for people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage
11. Hydration of older adults in long-term care
12. Identifying barriers and facilitators to accessing primary care services in Newfoundland and Labrador 
13. Impacts of climate change on chronic conditions
14. Integrated team-based primary care in rural communities
15. Mental health supports for child amputees
16. Mental health supports for individuals experiencing homelessness
17. Pain education reference guides for people with chronic pain
18. Patient engagement in health education curriculum
19. Peer support for families of people with Alzheimer’s disease
20. Peer support networks for people with chronic pain