PBRI: Care driving inquiry driving care
Aligned with its vision of inventing the future of health care, Sunnybrook is advancing a practice-based research and innovation (PBRI) strategy under the leadership of Lisa Di Prospero, who has a clinical background in radiation therapy and an M.Sc. in molecular radiation biology.
“Our focus is on engaging health professionals to critically examine and improve their practice to advance high-quality and evidence-based patient-centred care. “The strategy is founded on the belief that those who directly care for patients and families know what needs to be improved and how best to improve it.”
Lisa Di Prospero, Director, Practice-based research and innovation
Supported by donors, the practice-based research and innovation strategy focuses on two keys areas: building research capacity and infrastructure.
Building Research Capacity
Sunnybrook awards innovation fellowships and practice-based research seed grants through a competitive process to enable health professionals to examine critically and improve their practice. These opportunities provide the funding, protected time, education and mentoring required to investigate questions of clinical significance that will improve quality of care and patient safety.
Innovation fellowships offer clinicians the opportunity to develop and implement innovative quality improvement projects to improve patient and family care at Sunnybrook. Staff are given two days per week away from their regular positions over six months to work on these projects.
Fellows also engage in weekly seminars where they learn with peers about leading change in a complex academic health organization, how to manage a project, and how to engage with stakeholders and members of the interprofessional care team for a successful and sustained project outcome.
The grant program provides clinicians with seed funds to perform high-quality research focused on advancing practice for high-quality patient care. Seed grant funds can be used to buy the time of a research assistant to recruit participants and collect data, to purchase equipment or software, or to cover the costs of transcription or poster printing. Two years is allotted to complete each project. Study results are shared through internal presentations and externally through conference presentations and publication.
“The program gives health professionals who have an interest in research and improving care the opportunity to learn about the research process and participate in or lead clinical investigations,” says Di Prospero. “The experience can also lead to a new career trajectory in advanced practice or in research. Essentially, we are building our own future leaders and scientists.”
Building Research Infrastructure
Dedicated research positions for health professionals are essential to advancing practice-based inquiry and improving patient care. This infrastructure provides the support and resources needed for health professionals to develop and sustain new, innovative and productive programs of research that are focused on advancing the practice of their profession; and assist Sunnybrook in meeting its accountabilities as a research hospital.
Researchers
See our full list of PBRI researchers by program.