The first three projects to be funded through the new Prince Edward Island Health Research Program were announced today by Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem.
The three successful proposals include studies to improve clinical management of diabetes; identify the benefits and barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption in PEI; and examine the role of microscopic structures in the aorta in arterial disease.
With provincial funding of $131,098 and co-funding of $102,173, the projects will receive a total of $233,271 during the next three years.
Minister Ballem advised that the PEI Health Research Program is a strategic initiative of the provincial government to support existing research and attract new research dollars to the province. The primary purpose of the program is to provide new knowledge about major diseases in PEI and how to manage and prevent them.
"We are very pleased with the quality of the proposals," said the minister. "The program is helping us increase our capacity to do health research. It is also providing immediate opportunities for our graduate students and young people to participate in high level nationally-funded research."
Recommendations for funding are made to Government by a provincial review committee which is represented by community health organizations, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Regional Health Authorities and UPEI. Several other proposals are now being reviewed by the committee following the latest call for proposals in November 2000.
Proposals are received from researchers in public, private or not-for-profit sectors. To be successful, proposals must be consistent with the purpose of the PEI Health Research Program, which is to provide new information on health services and systems in the province and to provide new knowledge about diabetes, asthma, cancer and other illnesses. Eligible proposals must also be based on partnerships with other organizations at the local, national or international level.
The Province will invest $700,000 in the PEI Health Research Program over the next three years.
For more information on the PEI Health Research Program, call 368 6147 or visit our website at www.gov.pe.ca/health/hrf/.
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSALS APPROVED:
Improving Management of Persons with Diabetes ($9,602) is a project to assess, promote and encourage the use of management and treatment guidelines for persons with diabetes. The study will be conducted in PEI physician offices to monitor the use of new guidelines to encourage standard screening and testing in several areas such as blood glucose monitoring, lipid and glycated hemoglobin monitoring, assessment of vision as well as frequency of visits to the physician. The principal investigator of the project is Dr. Gary Costain. The data is being collected by the Institute of Human Health Research at the Medical Society of PEI.
Benefits and Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption ($28,925) will include a qualitative study to determine the benefits and barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption with the long term goal of developing appropriate strategies to overcome those barriers. The results will be used to determine appropriate ways to promote consumption of fruits and vegetables. Although cancer prevention is the primary objective of this work, an increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables may also impact positively on cardiovascular disease and asthma. The principal investigators are Debbie MacLellan and Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass of the UPEI Department of Family and Nutritional Sciences.
Models of Microfibril Function in Arterial Diseases ($92,571) will examine the role that microscopic structures in the walls of the aorta called microfibrils have in determining the physical properties of the blood vessel and how changes or defects in microfibril structure affect the physical properties. It is hoped that the results can be used to further understand the role of vascular tissue components and ultimately reduce the effects of cardiovascular disease. The principal investigator is Dr. Glenda Wright of UPEI.