Grant: Cat Gr:Policy Res. for Health Sys. Transf.- Canadian Healthcare Workforce

THE ISSUE: The Canadian healthcare workforce is in crisis, reeling from a decades-long healthcare worker (HCW) shortage, poor job satisfaction, high levels of stress and burnout, as well as high rates of attrition or intention to leave the profession. Circumstances have become measurably worse since Covid-19, with conditions in hospitals being particularly dire. This has, and will continue to have, a direct and dramatic impact on the delivery of the Quadruple Aim and health equity. There is evidence to support healthcare worker, patient, and cost benefits associated with engaging end-users (specifically, HCWs and patients) in hospital governance, however, there is a lack of consensus and guidance on how to meaningfully, equitably, and sustainably engage multiple stakeholders in practice. OUR IDEA: This study aims to develop multi-stakeholder informed guidance and policy options for the meaningful, equitable, and sustainable engagement of end-users in hospital governance. OUR APPROACH: The proposed study is guided by an Integrated Knowledge Translation approach, and will employ mixed methods across three phases of study, including Evidence generation (scoping review, institutional document analysis, and Concept Mapping); Knowledge mobilization and contextualization of the evidence (virtual Policy Workshop with key stakeholders and content experts); and Iterative re-formulation and dissemination of evidence and policy options through the development of a Policy Brief. Each phase will be informed by and build upon evidence generated in the preceding phase(s). IMPACT: The proposed research will provide an alternative, more diverse and inclusive process for hospital governance, engaging end-users themselves in fostering an improved work environment and healthier workforce. This research supports the kind of transformational change (in process and outcome) needed to achieve the goals of the Quadruple Aim and support improved health equity, for HCWs and patients alike.