On October 24, 2023, we witnessed a historic outcry by six former prime ministers of Quebec warning the current Minister of Health of the risks of his Bill 15 for our major metropolitan university health institutes and for research. which is realized there. Their letter published in The duty targeted the loss of the specific character and unique approaches of these establishments, in particular due to the abolition of their boards of directors. The signatories also mentioned a possible reduction in research funding from donations to the foundations of these establishments, because donors will probably be less inclined to give to an impersonal entity, such as Santé Québec, than to an establishment with which they identify.
In the regions, health and social services establishments, whether university-based or not, share many of the concerns raised in this letter. From a research point of view, several researchers are concerned about the place that will be reserved for them in this reform which promises to be an unprecedented movement of centralization. Imagine, if our large health institutions tremble at the idea of losing their identity and their research capacities with the new reform, how can we not worry about those located in the regions?
Should we fear the annihilation of research in our regional health and social services establishments or will we simply go under the radar, as so often happens?
In recent years, research has developed significantly in the regional CIUSSS and CISSS. This research, of a fundamental or applied nature, often comes from the establishments themselves, which makes it possible to provide responses adapted to the specific needs of populations, clinical teams, managers and partners in the region while taking into account their strengths and their abilities. This research, which is described as integrated, takes into account the complexity represented by the organization of services and the provision of care in contexts where territories are immense and staff numbers are often small. These contexts also represent excellent breeding grounds for innovation.
“Proximity” research promotes the appropriation of knowledge, which in turn influences more sustainably the practices aimed at improving the care and services offered to populations in the region, especially if clinical and community stakeholders become involved in the process. definition of needs, research objects and contribute to the search for contextualized answers. And as for university institutes, this research is also partly funded by the foundations of our establishments.
In short, the decentralization of research in the region makes it possible to involve the people who will use the knowledge produced, to ensure that the needs of the communities are better met and to benefit from local expertise and experience. Note that regional research is not developing in opposition to that carried out in university centers and institutes, but in essential complementarity. Indeed, traditional models where knowledge was only produced in large urban centers and where it was expected to percolate naturally to the regions no longer hold.
Mr. Dubé, thank you for not forgetting these regional specificities and for preserving the richness of the collaborative links in research which are already present and which are strengthening between universities, health and social services establishments and communities in the regions of Quebec. This high-quality and relevant research must remain alive and well by offering support and recognition to research centers and units in regional health and social services establishments and by encouraging the innovation capabilities of the research teams there. work.