Leaders of Canada major hospitals and universities are ready to collaborate with the new Liberal government and Health Minister Jane Philpott MD to ensure that our health care systems are patient-centered, based on best practices, constantly looking to improve, assisting in generating knowledge and rapidly disseminating the results of new studies — all the hallmarks of healthcare systems that can learn.

One of Canada’s best assets for improving the health of Canadians is our exceptional cadre of health researchers. From Banting and Best, with their discovery of insulin, to Canada’s more recent pathbreaking research on the Ebola vaccine, Canadian researchers punch well above their weight. From the seminal discovery of stem cells by James Till and Ernest McCulloch to the discovery of the first clinically-useful human tumor marker (CEA) by Dr. Phil Gold and Dr. Samuel Freedman, Canadian researchers are shaping the modern era of advanced therapeutics and precision medicine.

Collaborating across health and science disciplines from coast to coast to coast is the Canadian way. In doing so, we have improved the care of patients suffering from heart attacks, heart failure, diabetes and stroke, and the sickest of the sick in intensive care units worldwide. Patient-oriented clinical studies have provided the evidence needed for health decisions. In fact, one of Canada’s most important contributions has been to build the foundations of evidence-based medicine; Dr. David Sackett was the father of evidence-based medicine, one of the most important health innovations of the 20th century.

Medical research not only offers good value for dollars invested — it’s also good economics. In terms of direct benefits, our health and life sciences sector accounts for over 60,000 knowledge-based jobs, and the training of highly qualified individuals who will help Canada compete in the 21st century. The federal government’s annual grants and contributions to research amount to approximately $6 billion. Provinces, charitable organizations and the private sector — through direct expenditures and tax credits — provide billions more. A Rand Europe report estimated that for each ₤1 spent on research, direct and spillover benefits were estimated at between 35 and 40 pence per year in cancer, cardiovascular and mental health.

Over the past five years, our health research ecosystem has become progressively more unsustainable. The last major scientific thrust to Canada’s research enterprise was 15 years ago, under the Chrétien Liberal government. Over the past five years, our health research ecosystem has become progressively more unsustainable. The last major scientific thrust to Canada’s research enterprise was 15 years ago, under the Chrétien Liberal government.

Where we fall down in Canada is in converting good science into improved health outcomes for Canadians. As the new Liberal goverment’s health policy platform correctly points out, we need to capitalize on our natural tendencies to collaborate. We need to overcome the “Canadian condition” — the irrepressible urge to continuously reinvent the wheel.

As the Naylor Panel on Innovation and the 2012 Premier’s report “From Innovation to Action” pointed out, Canada needs bold new ways to scale up and speed up the adoption of islands of excellence across the country. Innovation will be facilitated by federal leadership and strategic investments in both physical and human capital. We can even build on existing programs. For instance, the major federal health research funding agency, the Canadian Health Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), has taken the lead in this matter by setting up with provincial and territorial partners a national Strategy on Patient-Oriented Research to further integrate research results into care. However, this program is underfunded and has further strained an already under-resourced funding agency.

Indeed, over the past five years our health research ecosystem has become progressively more unsustainable. The budget of CIHR has essentially flatlined, losing $150 million to inflation and losing ground to all our major competitors internationally. The overall percentage of fundable research has been cut almost in half, with less than 5 per cent of grants for applicants under the age of 35 being funded by CIHR.

The last major scientific thrust to Canada’s research enterprise was 15 years ago, under the Chrétien Liberal government. The strategy and investments were designed to reverse the “brain drain”. Several new agencies were created to provide major awards to scientists, support trainees and fund research infrastructure for research institutes and universities.

Having a Health minister committed to collaborating with other important partners, including the health research community, will assist in generating new knowledge and rapid integration of results into practice. Certainly, a focus from several key cabinet ministers will assist in planning a major re-investment in knowledge-building and dissemination — so that we can ensure a healthier Canada.

Paul Hebert MD is a senior scientist and physician-in-chief at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal. William Tholl is CEO of HealthCareCan. Carol Herbert MD is president of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

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