MICRORESEARCH, 5850 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, HALIFAX, NS, B3K 6R8, CANADA MICRORESEARCHNS@DAL.CA
COPYRIGHT © 2022 MICRORESEARCH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
BACKGROUND
HISTORY
Founded in 2008 by two Nova Scotia physicians, Noni MacDonald and Robert Bortolussi, MicroResearch has used an approach that parallels some microfinance principles to train local health care professionals in Africa to find sustainable solutions to local health problems using community focused research developed through three stages:
• Research training workshops
• Coaching to prepare proposals
• Funding and translating projects
MicroResearch ensures that small community focused research projects have a real impact on health. Teaching research skills across the entire health-care provider spectrum unleashes a local culture of inquiry to identify and solve new problems.
MICRORESEARCH IN NOVA SCOTIA
1. Teaches basic community focused research skills to
professionals and community members.
2. Engages local communities and members of the health
authority in developing methods to improve the health
of their communities using context appropriate strategies.
3. Develops champions for health improvement in
communities across Nova Scotia.
4. Develops leadership inside and outside the health system
for programs of change.
MICRORESEARCH NOVA SCOTIA
Nova Scotia has one of the highest rates of poor health behaviors and poor health of any province. Our provincial finances are strained by devoting close to half our budget to health care. With an aging population the challenges will become even bigger. There is widespread agreement that improvements in the health of Nova Scotians will require changes that go beyond the health care system. We need innovative solutions that are developed and implemented with sensitivity to local community circumstances and are driven by the best research evidence.
MicroResearch strategies fit well with the NSHA and the IWK strategic priorities including population health, improving the experience of care, using resources wisely, and engaging the health workforce. For these reasons, MicroResearch was implemented in Nova Scotia in 2016. Working with the IWK Health Centre, NSHA, and Dalhousie University, along with a range of provincial and community partners, MicroResearch NS has put on eight workshops across the province, involving 97 participants.
For more information about the workshops and team projects in Nova Scotia, visit our Workshops page.
