In primary care, research is needed that takes into account the specific characteristics of its population and the presentation and prevalence of illness and disease. The context of the doctor-patient encounter plays a major part, and needs better understanding. At the policy level, issues of equity must be addressed. The knowledge base for family medicine must be expanded by integration of multiple methods of comprehension, so we can bridge the gap between evidence and practice.
de Maeseneer et al., The Lancet Vol 362 October 18, 2003
Research in Family Medicine is essential to the achievement of excellence in patient care and education. At McGill, we undertake research :
- to provide the evidence necessary to underpin high quality clinical care in general practice and to advance the discipline of family practice through new knowledge and knowledge translation.
- because the future of the profession relies on us determining our own academic path.
Research capacity building is the latest area of concentrated activity and is a priority for expansion in our department. We have major federal CIHR grants and are involved in many other CIHR and provincial FRSQ funded research projects.
Structure and Function of Research
Family Medicine Research Meetings
Departmental research members meet once a month to discuss individual research projects, team projects, propose new research ideas and advise on all department-wide research related issues. Core members include Gillian Bartlett, Roland Grad, Jeannie Haggerty, Ann Macaulay, Pierre Pluye, Charo Rodriguez, Ellen Rosenberg (Interim Research Director) and Bryce Mansell (Recording Secretary). The meeting is open to all department members who do research.
Monthly Family Medicine Research Seminars
Every month, faculty who are actively involved in research get together at our department over the lunch hour to present their research projects. The forum provides a supportive environment where researchers discuss and get feedback on research ideas, methodology, or results.
2010-2011 Seminars
Tuesday, October 19, 2010: Darquise Lafrenière, Postdoc Fellow "Comparing Two Methods for Disseminating Study Results in Health Research: The Arts and the Café scientifique"
Tuesday, November 30, 2010: Roland Grad, Pierre Pluye, Denice Lewis & Soumya Bindiganavile Sridhar "Four posters at NAPCRG: The Information Technology Primary Care Research Group"
Tuesday, January 18, 2011: Ellen Rosenberg, MD "Step Monitoring to improve ARTERial health"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011: Anne Andermann, MD, MPhil, DPhil, CCFP, FRCPC "Child labour in the favelas of Northern Brasil: How primary health care can be used as a lever to promote health equity"
Tuesday, March 15, 2011: Gillian Bartlett, PhD "The Primary Care Patient Held Record – an opportunity for patient oriented primary care research"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011: Jeannie Haggerty, PhD "When Patients See Many Providers: Development and Validation of a Generic Measure of Continuity of Care"
Tuesday, May 24, 2011: Brigitte Côté, MD "Role of INESSS and opportunities for primary care"
Tuesday, June 14, 2011: Cristina Longo, Quynh Nguyen & Analia Rubinowicz. "Family Medicine Research: Snapshots from three MSc Projects"
