Project 460748

The purpose of this project is to develop a cross-country comparative research study on the relationship between emergency care workforce policy and health equity. The activities sponsored by this grant will facilitate the development of a comparative study to be submitted to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research on multi-stakeholder perspectives on the impact of emergency care workforce policy on health equity in Canada, Australia, Rwanda, and South Africa. The objectives of the project are to: 1) Conduct an environmental scan regarding research on emergency care workforce policy in Canada, Australia, Rwanda and South Africa, and assess feasibility of conducting a study in each jurisdiction; 2) Identify research questions on the theme of a cross-country comparison of multi-stakeholder perspectives (emergency physicians, non-physician emergency care providers, policymakers, regulators and patients) regarding the impact of current workforce policies on equitable access to emergency care; and 3) Identify potential research collaborators and knowledge users in each jurisdiction (emergency physician associations, policymakers, community organizations and other researchers). We will conduct three, two-hour virtual meetings in July 2022 (pre-environmental scans), November 2022 (post-environmental scans) and December 2022 (pre-CIHR grant submission). Partners on this project include researchers and clinicians from the University of British Columbia, James Cook University, Stellenbosch University and the University of Rwanda. Our team has complementary expertise in health policy and systems research, emergency medicine and epidemiology, which are essential for a comprehensive understanding of emergency care workforce policy. The proposed activities will allow this global team of researchers to design an innovative research study that will address knowledge gaps and help improve equitable access to emergency care in Canada and globally.