Advancing the science of patient-oriented research in aging
The MIRA | Collaborative for Health and Aging is the newest research centre in the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU) network formed by the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) and the McMaster School of Nursing’s Aging, Community and Health Research Unit (ACHRU). The Collaborative is a part of the OSSU’s network of 15 health research centres across the province that provide scientific knowledge and support high quality patient-partnered research with the goal of improving health and the health system.
The Collaborative seeks to strengthen Ontario’s capacity in patient-oriented research and improve health system performance and patients’ experiences by advancing the science of patient engagement and methods and tools in patient-oriented research in aging. By addressing the unique needs of older adults and their caregivers through resources, consultation supports, data access, and technical services, the Collaborative will position Ontario as a leader in patient-oriented research in aging.
Our goal is to build capacity and advance Ontario’s health care system by using integrated, coordinated and patient-centered approaches to patient-oriented research on aging.
Co-leads of the Collaborative
The co-leads of the Collaborative are the scientific directors of MIRA and ACHRU respectively, Dr. Parminder Raina and Dr. Maureen Markle-Reid.
Parminder Raina
Scientific Director, MIRA
“The focus of the Collaborative is on supporting older adults in our research, knowing that there is no typical older person. In the same way you wouldn’t compare a 10-year-old to a 30-year-old, you cannot compare a 65-year-old to a 95-year-old.”
-Parminder Raina
Maureen Markle-Reid
Scientific Director, ACHRU
“We are looking forward to working with stakeholders from across Ontario to develop a robust research agenda that engages patients and their families and improves the health and well-being of older people.”
-Maureen Markle-Reid
Research Brief: Older people as research partners – a systematic review of implementation and impact
Patient and public partners are most likely to be engaged in the execution of research and least likely to be engaged in the preparatory stages of research, say experts from the MIRA | Collaborative for Health & Aging.
MIRA | Collaborative Webinar Series: Engaging and partnering with older adults in the MIRA Collaborative
Join us Wednesday, June 2 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET for the second MIRA | Collaborative for Health & Aging webinar, “Engaging and partnering with older adults in the MIRA Collaborative: implementation and evaluation.”
New learning module aims to advance patient-oriented research in aging
Health and aging research experts at the MIRA | Collaborative for Health & Aging have created an online learning module to help researchers develop and expand projects into successful patient-centered innovations.
MIRA | Collaborative for Health & Aging 