1.1 What is Health Research
As a health care professional, you will advocate for the health of your patients using the treatments and knowledge provided. According to the World Health Organization (n.d.), the average Canadian’s current life expectancy is 81.6 years. That has increased by more than 20 years in the last century. Many factors contribute to the health and wellness of a Canadian, but “what we know about health and disease today—and what we can do with that knowledge—comes from decades of research” (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2022, para. 5). How you use that knowledge as a health care professional directly impacts the care you can provide. Using that knowledge personally can help advocate for your health and wellness.
Medical research, discovering pathologies and treatments in a lab, while an intricate part of health research, is not the only area of research that impacts our health care. “The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) supports this type of work across four main pillars. Each one is described below. These pillars are all important for addressing the health challenges we still face today and preparing us for the ones we’ll face tomorrow” (Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2022, para. 7).
The four pillars of health research are defined below. Click on the title for more information on each Pillar.
Biomedical Research (Pillar 1)
Biomedical research focuses on understanding how every part of the human body works—right down to our cells.
By studying these workings at the molecular, cellular, organ system, and whole-body levels, biomedical research leads to new ways of diagnosing, preventing, and treating illness and disease.
Clinical Research (Pillar 2)
With the help of volunteer participants, clinical research leads to new and improved:
- Medications, vaccines, therapies and treatments
- Medical tests, procedures and practices
- Medical tools, equipment and devices
- Scientific knowledge and understanding of illness and disease
Health Services Research (Pillar 3)
Health services research focuses on improving health care for everyone.
By studying how health care services are organized, supported, and delivered across Canada, we can make the overall system better.
This research generates information to help enhance care for patients, reduce costs, and address the needs of health care providers.
Social, Cultural, Environment, and Population Health Research (Pillar 4)
Social, cultural, environmental, and population health research aims to improve the health of entire communities.
There is more to your health than meets the eye! This type of research uncovers the ways that social, cultural, environmental, occupational, and economic factors can affect it—for better or for worse.
Read more about Social, Cultural, Environment, and Population Health Research
Whether you choose a career in science, working in a lab or home care health, understanding the process and critical review of research studies is important not only to participate in a project but to approach any problem and form a solution. The steps to understanding health research will apply to any situation you may encounter in a personal and professional environment.
