SHRF Funds 8 Projects to Connect People in Saskatchewan to Health Research and Evidence They Can Use

For over 25 years, RESOLVE SK (Research & Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse) has been a leader in community-based, applied research aimed at ending violence and abuse. Our work aims to directly impact knowledge users such as service providers, government, policymakers, and people with lived experience.

Unfortunately, however, the results of this work are not quickly or easily available to knowledge users. This project will create a public-facing, online repository of RESOLVE SK’s decades of research outcomes to facilitate the mobilization of this knowledge.

From September to December 2023, members of Saulteaux First Nation partnered with researchers from the University of Saskatchewan to pilot an older adults’ exercise program in their community. The overall results show that the program was feasible and culturally safe, with 4 community members trained as exercise leaders and an additional 16 older adults participating in the program.

To inform all the older adults of the community about the project results in a way that is relevant to them, the steering committee has requested that the research report be translated into Plains Cree and presented at a community meal for older adults. The translated report will be shared with older adults both on and off reserve and may improve their willingness to be involved in community-led exercise or health programs.

This project aims to tackle burnout among healthcare workers in Saskatchewan by providing practical tools and support. We will create a Burnout Continuum Model to help healthcare workers identify and manage burnout, offering resources both within and outside the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

Short promotional videos and educational materials will raise awareness and reassure healthcare workers that they are not alone. For leadership, we will present effective strategies to build trust and support staff, enhancing workplace morale. By sharing these findings and tools widely, including posters and digital resources, we hope to foster a healthier, more resilient healthcare workforce.

An inclusive research team of people with intellectual disabilities, disability advocates, and academic researchers has co-created and evaluated plain language tools to support the right to health and medical decision-making for people with intellectual disabilities. They found the tools are accessible, demonstrate respect for the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities, promote supported decision-making, and communication of their healthcare wishes and choices.

These self-advocates wish to share their experiences, the tools they developed, and the research findings with healthcare professionals. Research shows that genuine engagement of nursing students with people with intellectual disabilities can promote their ability to provide quality care, communication, and advocacy. This project, co-designed and co-lead by people with intellectual disabilities, will entail a series of community building workshops to connect nursing students and self-advocates, to build awareness about supported decision-making approaches and resources.

Menstrual pain among youth is widespread and under-addressed. Information about menstrual pain for youth is low quality and does not meet their needs. Youth deserve access to high-quality health information. The Family Health Lab has spent the past 5 years researching youth’s menstrual pain-related needs and trialing psychosocial interventions. We now aim to share our findings widely to help youth with menstrual pain.

As part of this project, we will review current information needs of youth with menstrual pain and consolidate our research. We will then co-create with users a website that contains content they find useful and evaluate the website. This project will be carried out by a multi-disciplinary team who will work collaboratively with a Youth Advisory Group who experience menstrual pain.

Since 2020, the CIHR-funded Sanctum 1.5 Hope Through Strength research project has worked with Sanctum 1.5 (S1.5) of Sanctum Care Group to develop an evidence base for S1.5’s model of care. Through conversational interviews with current and former S1.5 clients, client chart reviews and a comparative quantitative analysis, the team has developed a significant body of knowledge on the effectiveness and impacts of S1.5’s wraparound model of care.

From inception, the research project has engaged with clients as key Community Research Associates and co-researchers. However, gathering information is not enough: hence, our team seeks to bridge this knowledge to frontline health and social service providers. Through a community dinner and photovoice exhibit, we will centre individual's voices with diverse frontline workers, decision makers, and researchers to further inform perinatal wraparound practices, policies, and research.

Canada has among the highest prevalence of MS in the world. MS Canada gets numerous inquiries from health care providers across Saskatchewan on updates in MS and requests from people with MS on programs and services throughout the province. Numerous advancements in MS research studies and anticipation of new diagnostic criteria need to be shared with the larger Saskatchewan MS community.

A one day Mobilizing MS Multi-stakeholder Learning Event will be held in May 2025 in Regina SK with streaming services for enhanced rural and remote representation. This event will provide a valuable opportunity for people living with MS, family members and health care providers to interact and learn from each other in a constantly changing landscape.

Syphilis has exploded in Saskatchewan, with rates not seen in over 100 years. In response, a point-of-care testing project was initiated to work directly with those at risk to deliver immediate testing and treatment for syphilis. Over its first year, nurses working on the project identified a lack of educational resources and information that are accessible for clients to understand, as well as general knowledge among care providers of the syphilis epidemic spreading across the province.

This project will create accessible and appropriate resources on syphilis - symptoms, transmission, treatment and life-threatening complications if left untreated. The resources will be co-designed with patient partners, clinicians and Indigenous leaders to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of syphilis screening and treatment. Resources will include infographics, posters, messaging and animated vignettes to help support care professionals, community-based organizations, patients and the public – especially those most at risk of syphilis infection.