Solutions Program
SHRF Focus Areas
Health Research That Matters to Saskatchewan
About Solutions
At the core of all SHRF Programs are four guiding principles that align with our strategic direction. These are: solving Saskatchewan health problems; responding to ecosystem needs; expanding partner dollars; and streamlining administrative duties.
The Solutions Program aims to mobilize the research ecosystem to focus and coordinate diverse skills and perspectives to address timely Saskatchewan health challenges. This is achieved by providing peer reviewed, competitive funding to support direct research costs for interdisciplinary teams, including knowledge users, conducting projects with measurable impact in focused areas.
Focus Areas
Virtual Care
Access to care is an obstacle Saskatchewan faces, with rural and Northern communities facing long travel distances to larger care centres. With the additional strain of the pandemic weighing on many aspects of the health system and how people have been able to access care, virtual care approaches can address many of the health challenges our province faces.
Virtual care (i.e. remote medicine, digital care, tele-health) has the potential to connect patients to the care they need, when and where they need it. Virtual care can respond to the needs of urban and rural populations, increase health system capacity, reduce costs, promote collaboration, enhance the patient/provider experience, and improve the health of Saskatchewan citizens.
The Solutions - Virtual Care focus area supports research into developing, implementing and evaluating virtual care in Saskatchewan.
This focus area offers additional partnership with the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC)
Dr. Ivar Mendez (MD, PhD) examines a virtual patient using Google Glass. (Photo: University of Saskatchewan)
Dr. Heather Hadjistavropoulos (PhD) with the Online Therapy Unit service.
Addictions
Addiction is understood as compulsive behavior and/or substance use, despite negative consequences. With continued behavior/use, a dependency may develop. Addiction is a pressing health concern for all of Saskatchewan.
Working together, including those with lived/living experiences is a way to ensure that resources are accessible to those who need them and that the continuum care is supported within the healthcare system and within other related systems like policing, corrections and social services.
The Solutions-Addictions program supports teams with innovative and impactful approaches to address the entire addictions trajectory – from prevention and screening, to harm reduction, treatment and recovery.
This focus area offers additional partnership with Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research