2018 Literature Review Grant Competition

Call for Proposals

February 2018

Scientific Office

Primary Health Care Integration Network

1

Background

The Primary Health Care Integration Network (PHCIN) mandate is focused on process

improvements or changes in service delivery that inform, facilitate or result in; i) closer

alignment and integration of primary care across the spectrum of health services, ii) improve

coordination of primary and acute care services, and/or iii) provide appropriate patient-

focused care in community settings. The PHCIN has identified several initiatives that are

underway or being planned in primary health care across the province which align with these

priority areas. The PHCIN Scientific Office (SO) is responsible for supporting assessments of

evidence to inform these projects and advising on the methods for intervention design and

evaluation, and facilitating linkages with PHCIN initiatives to academic partners.

The 2018 PHCIN Literature Review Grant Competition will fill knowledge gaps identified by

PHCIN. This work will not only provide the PHCIN with the critical evidence required to

advance projects and initiatives, but will also assist in building research capacity in primary

health care in Alberta. The reviews will be timely, relevant, and provide scientifically rigorous

evidence to decision-makers and knowledge-users in primary health care and specifically the

PHCIN. The 2018 PHCIN Literature Review Competition will be focused on two current

priority areas of; i) improving transitions in care between acute and primary care

services, and ii) primary care linkages to specialist services.

The Literature Review Grants will also encourage further development of priority projects

identified by stakeholders of the PHCIN that lead to improved quality of care for patients in

Alberta, as identified in the six domains of quality by the Health Quality Council of Alberta: 1)

appropriateness, 2) accessibility, 3) effectiveness, 4) efficiency, 5) safety, and 6)

acceptability. The grants will advance the PHCIN’s research goals, which are aligned with

the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences’ health research evaluation framework categories

of advancing knowledge, research capacity, informing decision-making and health impacts.

2

Topic Areas and Scope

A comprehensive review of peer-reviewed and grey literature will be related to at least

one of the priority areas focused on:

1) Improving transitions between acute and primary care services and/or

2) Primary care linkages (access) to specialty services.

The reviews must have a primary care and/or patient perspective and not be disease-

specific. The reviews may cover topics such as:

Transitions in care between home and hospital;

Primary care to specialist referrals and communication;

Hospital discharge planning processes and links to health outcomes;

Identify best and promising practices that support transitioning of patient care from

acute to primary care providers;

The impact of continuity of primary care services on reducing acute care utilization

and improved outcomes after hospitalization;

Supporting patients with complex conditions transition from hospital back to

community care including primary care;

The role of information systems in supporting care transitions and potential impact on

patient outcomes and provider usability;

The role of multidisciplinary teams involving primary care in supporting care

transitions;

Potential related measures and indicators for evaluation and monitoring activities in

transitions of care between home to hospital, and primary care referral to specialty

services.

Reviews will clearly identify the population, intervention, comparator, and outcome, as

appropriate. The focus of the review will be on contributing to enhanced service delivery

or improved outcomes and experiences of patients transitioning between acute and

primary care services, and their families, and enhanced linkages between primary care

providers and specialists.

3

Eligibility

The review team for eligible applications will include;

i. A PhD or MD level academic team lead affiliated with an Alberta university,

ii. more than one individual,

iii. graduate level trainee or post-doctoral fellow,

iv. at least one member with experience conducting research in the field of primary health care, and

v. at least one member with experience conducting critical literature reviews.

Principal Investigators (PIs) may hold only one PHCIN Literature Review award at a time; however, PIs may be co-investigators on multiple applications.

Tasks to be Performed

Clearly define a research question related to one or more of the identified topic areas, specifying inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Prepare a protocol and register on PROPSERO as appropriate (this registry is for systematic reviews; reviews do not need to be systematic).

Conduct a methodological search of the literature based on clearly documented search strategies.

Employ strategies to mitigate publication and selection bias.

Prepare an oral presentation suitable for presentation to PHCIN leadership members and the PHCIN Coalition.

Final Report: The findings of the literature will be submitted to the Scientific Director of the PHCIN within 12 months from when the Literature Review Grant is approved. This report will include required reporting on the literature review performed, summary of the findings, key messages, dissemination activities (e.g. presentations, manuscripts, etc.), and how the findings from the Literature Review Grant can be used to inform future grants, research projects, and the PHCIN priority areas. We hope that the Literature Review Grant will also provide a foundation for investigators and PHCIN to develop further grants for larger provincial, national, or internal competitions. This final report will be shared within Alberta Health Services (AHS).

4

Funding

The funding will be available as a single award of $20,000, or two awards at $10,000.

Funding may be used for:

• Stipend support for trainees or salary support for research associates and technical/professional assistants.

• Expenses for travel that is essential for the conduct of the review (such as data collection via surveys for an environmental scan).

• Other expenses will be considered but must be justified. Funding will NOT be provided for:

• Previously incurred expenses (expenses incurred prior to implementation of the grant).

• Operating expenses related to the review/scan, including general office supplies. • Investigator salaries. • Publication costs, legal or patent fees, membership fees, academic fees, secretarial

support, travel not essential for the conduct of the review/scan (e.g., to conferences, symposiums, presentations or meetings).

Funding Policies

Funding will be provided for ONE year and is non-renewable.

All publications, including public messages, arising from the literature review commissioned by the PHCIN must acknowledge the support of Alberta Health Services and the PHCIN.

The University of Calgary will administer the funding award and invoice awarded amounts to AHS.

Complete budget details and justification should be provided.

Budget Review The PHCIN Scientific Director and Assistant Scientific Director will review the budget

section of those proposals selected by the Review Panel to receive funding.

Applicants may be asked to revise their proposed budgets at the discretion of the

PHCIN Scientific Director and / or Assistant Scientific Director in order to comply with

funding program policies.

5

Reporting

Investigators will be required to keep accurate and up to date accounts and records of the receipt and expenditure of funding monies received, including invoices, receipts or other documents relevant to the funds provided by this grant. The PHCIN SO retains the right to review, at reasonable request; any financial records or accounts related to the expenditure of the funding and will have the right to hold copies of such accounts and records.

Investigators will be required to closely monitor the delivery and success of the project throughout the funding period to ensure that milestones are being met and deliverables are being provided. Investigators will provide the PHCIN SO with a final report on completion of the funding period which will confirm whether the project has been successfully and properly completed. All publications, including public messages, arising from this grant will acknowledge the support of the PHCIN. The following statement should be included in the Acknowledgements section of the publication:

“Research reported in this publication was supported by the Alberta Health Services Primary Health Care Integration Network (PHCIN). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the PHCIN Scientific Office or Alberta Health Services”.

Program Policies

i. Applicants may only apply once to the 2018 PHCIN Literature Review Grant

Competitions as a Principal Applicant but may be a Co-Applicant on multiple

applications.

ii. PIs must be affiliated with an Alberta-based academic institution.

iii. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

iv. Any unused funds at the end of the award term must be returned to the PHCIN SO for

use towards future research funding opportunities.

v. Failure to submit a final report within 6 months of completing the literature review will

disqualify the PI from future PHCIN funding.

vi. Important changes to the proposed study protocol must be reported to the PHCIN SO

immediately. If changes are deemed to be substantial departures from the original

application, the grant may be closed and in this case the funds must be returned.

6

Timelines

February 9, 2018 Call for Literature Review Grant Applications

March 2, 2018 Applications Due

March 9, 2018 Notification of Awards

Evaluation of Proposals

All submitted proposals will first be reviewed by the PHCIN SO and one patient representative to determine the eligibility of the proposed research given the funding program policies. Those applications which pass through this first evaluative step will then be reviewed and scored by one external primary care clinician with a research background and the PHCIN leadership group (Senior Medical Lead, Scientific Director and Executive Director). The proposals will be scored on a 5-point scale using the following criteria:

CRITERIA Score Expertise of the Investigative Team (20% of final score)

Academic track record and historical research productivity of the principal applicant. /5

Skills and experience of the investigative team to conduct a critical literature review. /5

Appropriate content knowledge of the topic to be reviewed by members of the investigative team.

/5

Quality of the Proposed Methods (40% of final score)

Background evidence to justify the review/demonstrate significance of the problem. /5

Clarity of the research question. /5

The proposed methods for the review are appropriate to address the research question. /5

Appropriateness of inclusion criteria, search strategies, critical appraisal methodology, and data collection/synthesis.

/5

Feasibility of the project (e.g. proposed work is accomplishable in the timeline given, literature exists on the subject to support a critical review)

/5

Potential Impact for Primary Health Care (40% of final score)

Alignment of proposal with priority areas identified by the PHCIN. /5

Potential to inform the process improvements or changes in service delivery that lead to integrated patient care across the continuum of health services.

/15

Total /60

Scoring: 5 = Outstanding 4 = Very Good 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Poor NP = Not Provided

7

How to Apply for Funding

1. Literature review proposals will be limited to a maximum of 4 pages using the

provided template (including references). The Principal Investigator, Co-Principal

Applicant and Trainee Bio Sketches are not included in the 4 page limit.

2. Appendices of up to 2 pages are allowed (not including the Bio Sketches).

3. The Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Applicant and Trainee must submit a Bio

Sketch using the template provided (no other Bio Sketches will be reviewed).

4. Complete budget details and justification must be included.

5. Email a PDF copy of the completed, signed application to:

Shelly Vik, PhD

Assistant Scientific Director

Primary Health Care Integration Network

Shelly.vik@ahs.ca

In the subject line, write “Principal Investigator Name - 2018 PHCIN Literature Review

Grant Application.”

8

PHCIN Literature Review Proposal Template

Title of Proposed Review: Review Team Members

(Please list the names of all review team members, their roles, tasks, current job title and employer using a table similar to the one provided below.)

Title Name Role Tasks Current Job Title & Employer

Dr./Ms/Mr. Xxx e.g. Principal Investigator, Research Assistant, Librarian, Reviewer, Etc.

e.g. Leading review, research design, study review and appraisal, etc.

e.g. Professor, University of Alberta

Experience of the Review Team

(Please provide a brief summary of the experience your team has in conducting the proposed study. The review team should be comprised of members with sector experience in primary health care, members with experience/knowledge in conducting critical literature reviews, an experienced librarian to supervise the search strategy and members with appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods knowledge to interpret analyses in the literature.)

Background

(Please provide a brief outline of the issue that this critical literature review will address. Indicate the current state of existing evidence.)

Research Question

(Please state the research question that is relevant to the primary health care topics identified by the PHCIN in Alberta)

Review Methods (Please indicate how you will conduct the review using the following headings.)

Inclusion Criteria: o Population o Intervention o Comparisons o Outcome(s) o Study designs to be included

Detailed Search Methodology

Study Selection and Quality Assessment

Data Extraction/Analysis

9

Potential Impact for Primary Health Care in Alberta (Please describe how the results from this review will impact health services delivery or policy creation/implementation for primary health care in Alberta.) Timeline (It is important that the review team has dedicated time to complete the proposed work. Please provide a timetable/schedule for all tasks included in the proposed study.) Budget (Please list and justify all requested funds (up to a maximum of $20,000) to complete this proposed literature review(s).)

References

10

Bio Sketch Template

NAME

POSITION TITLE

COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS, PHONE AND EMAIL

EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, and include postdoctoral training.)

INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE (if applicable) YEAR(S) FIELD OF STUDY

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/EMPLOYMENT (list)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (in the past 5 years)

CURRENT FUNDING: (list past 5 years – not required for Trainees)

EXPERIENCE RELEVANT TO THE PROJECT (in past 5 years)

11

SIGNATURE PAGE Principal Investigator: ________________________________________________________________________________ Signature Date University Department Head: ________________________________________________________________________________ Signature Date University Associate Dean: ________________________________________________________________________________Signature Date University Research Office: ________________________________________________________________________________

Signature Date