CHSRF knowledge transfer: Policy priorities for primary healthcare improvement: a national conversation.

Primary care is the foundation of a nation’s healthcare system – it is well documented that countries with a strong primary care system have better population health and lower healthcare costs. Despite initiatives such as Health Canada’s $800 million Primary Healthcare Transition Fund (Health Canada 2007), the development and performance of Canada’s primary healthcare sector have lagged in comparison with those of other wealthy industrialized countries (Schoen et al. 2006, 2007), particularly in areas such as access, quality and the use of research to inform practice and policy. In her recent commentary on the state of primary healthcare in Canada, Barbara Starfield noted that “Canada seems to have stalled in its commitment to strengthening primary care. One reason for this lack of movement may be the poor investment in primary care research and evaluation. In this regard, Canada is probably at least 10 years behind” (Starfield 2008: 59). Clearly, there is a need for a national effort to define priorities for primary healthcare research in Canada, with a focus on stimulating evidence-informed policy and practice that will strengthen the healthcare system and improve the health of Canadians. For example, the Primary Healthcare Transition Fund contributed to 68 projects and project envelopes within the provinces and territories. Some were successful, and some less so; yet insufficient efforts have been made to learn from these initiatives.