Grant: CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Award - Musculoskeletal Health

Musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain and arthritis, are leading causes of disability and the main reasons why older Canadians need healthcare and rehabilitation. Rehabilitation refers to strategies that improve functioning for people who experience challenges with activities and participation. Rehabilitation is considered important for achieving United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of healthy lives and well-being for all. At least 1 in 3 people worldwide will require rehabilitation at some point in their life, but many do not receive these services, representing unmet needs. The World Health Organization called for stronger delivery of rehabilitation services in all healthcare systems to improve access to care in diverse communities. In older adults with musculoskeletal conditions, unmet healthcare needs are important barriers to health, independent living, and well-being. There is a strong need for new strategies to reduce unmet needs in these aging communities. To respond to this need, my program of research aims to develop innovative approaches to improve health services and health equity concerning unmet healthcare needs in older adults with musculoskeletal conditions. My research program is a comprehensive investigation with evidence syntheses, population-based studies, and qualitative research. Research findings will help us understand who will develop unmet healthcare needs among older adults with musculoskeletal conditions, and their characteristics and lived experiences. I will develop an innovative tool to predict who will experience unmet healthcare needs in this population to guide prevention and healthcare strategies. My research team will co-design methods with patients, caregivers and community partners throughout to ensure impact, with considerations for equity, diversity and inclusion. Together, guided by lived experiences, we will develop innovative approaches to advance equitable well-being and healthy aging for older Canadians.