Informing Canada's Health System Response to COVID-19: Priorities for Health Services and Policy Research

McMahon, Meghan; Nadigel, Jessica; Thompson, Erin; Glazier, Richard H.

To inform Canada's research response to COVID-19, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) conducted a rapid-cycle priority identification process. Seven COVID-19 priorities for health services and policy research were identified: system adaptation and organization of care; resource allocation decision-making and ethics; rapid synthesis and comparative policy analysis of the COVID-19 response and outcomes; healthcare workforce; virtual care; long-term consequences of the pandemic; and public and patient engagement. Three additional cross-cutting themes were identified: supporting the health of Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable populations, data and digital infrastructure, and learning health systems and knowledge platforms. IHSPR hopes these research priorities will contribute to the broader ecosystem for collective research investment and action.