Research summary
Health measurements that are comprehensive, appropriate and represent the perspectives of diverse people are a keystone of equitable health care. To improve the way health care is delivered in Canada, Dr. Richard Sawatzky, Canada Research Chair in Equitable People-Centred Health Measurement, aims to shift toward more equitable, people-centred health measurement (EPHM).
He and his research team are developing novel, comprehensive ways to conduct unbiased measurements of diverse people’s perspectives of their health-care needs, outcomes and experiences. They are advancing methods for equitably measuring health and health-care experiences, evaluating the integration of social determinants of health data into digital tools for EPHM, and implementing EPHM into health-care settings for people who live with chronic conditions. Ultimately, they are reorienting health care to make it more person-centred and to ensure it pays attention to patients whose needs are not being met.