Grant: Health System Impact Embedded ECR Award-Indigenous Peoples' Health pool (3)

Chronic pain (CP) is a persistent ailment that lasts or recurs past the expected healing period, typically three months. It affects approximately 10-20% of the global population and poses substantial clinical, social, and economic challenges. In Alberta, about 800,000 patients live with CP. Unfortunately, many patients lack access to evidence-based care due to systemic gaps, affecting particularly Indigenous patients. Consequently, patients often resort to unnecessary diagnostics or inappropriate treatment, resulting in suboptimal outcomes and increased societal burden. CP accounts for about 6-8% of Alberta's healthcare budget and causes significant productivity losses. To tackle these challenges, the Alberta Pain Strategy (APS) initiated a strategic plan in 2019, advocating for "excellence in pain management across the lifespan for all." The APS secured funding to implement a Virtual Pain Program (VPP), aiming to provide consistent quality care to patients living with or at risk of developing CP. The proposed embedded research program aligns with APS's vision and aims to advance a learning health system for CP management. This involves evaluating the VPP implementation to meet Albertans' needs, co-creating services for Indigenous patients, generating evidence on CP management interventions' effects on care quality, and strengthening the APS Community of Practice. The research program will employ various methodologies like implementation science research, pragmatic trials, mixed-methods research, economic evaluation, and integrated knowledge translation. The ultimate goal is to facilitate improved patient outcomes, health equity, and a sustainable, effective system for managing chronic pain.