From Insights to Impact: Strengthening Clinical Research at The Ottawa Hospital
Project Description
In 2022, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) — one of Canada’s largest academic health sciences centres — and its research arm, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) undertook an ambitious, institution-wide review of its clinical research ecosystem to better understand and address systemic barriers that were limiting research integration within hospital operations and patient care. Dr. Nahya Awada, as a contributing author and research consultant, played an integral role in guiding this transformative initiative.
Project Goals & Methodology
Goal
The overarching aim was to identify the key challenges hindering clinical research success and to develop a comprehensive, actionable plan that would support researchers, clinicians, staff, and patients in engaging more meaningfully with research activities at TOH.
Methodology
To ensure the findings reflected real experiences across the institution, the team used a mixed-methods performance improvement approach:
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Qualitative Engagement: Stakeholders from across departments — including clinician-researchers, administrative leads, research staff, and others — were engaged through interviews aimed at capturing nuanced perspectives on research processes, pain points, and opportunities.
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Quantitative Surveys: Pre-review and post-review surveys were administered to assess perceptions, experiences, and research readiness before and after the initiative, providing measurable data to inform both the baseline understanding and changes over time.
This blended methodology ensured the action plan was grounded in both narrative insights and empirical evidence, increasing its relevance and impact across stakeholder groups
Key Barriers Identified
Through this systematic examination of TOH’s research landscape, the project identified several structural and cultural challenges, including:
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Limited access to research funding and resources — particularly for non-physician researchers.
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Lack of protected time for research — clinicians and staff often lacked designated time to devote to research activities alongside clinical duties.
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Fragmented technology infrastructure — inconsistent systems hindered efficient data collection, tracking, and research workflows.
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Challenges in patient access for research participation — limiting opportunities for enrolment and engagement in clinical studies.
These findings painted a comprehensive picture of the operational and cultural factors that had restricted research productivity and integration across clinical teams.
Action Plan:
30+ Initiatives Across 4 Strategic Goals
In response, a detailed action plan was developed, comprising over 30 initiatives organized around four strategic priorities:
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Strengthening Infrastructure — upgrading technology systems and processes to better support research activities.
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Building Capacity and Culture — investing in training, mentorship, and protected research time to empower researchers at all career stages.
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Enhancing Patient Access to Research — expanding opportunities for patients to participate in research and improving mechanisms for recruitment and engagement.
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Streamlining Governance and Processes — simplifying approval pathways and reducing administrative burdens to accelerate research initiation and execution.
Each initiative was designed to address a specific challenge while also aligning with the broader institutional mission of embedding research as a core component of patient care.
Measuring Progress & Impact
Measuring Progress and Impact
Progress toward these goals was tracked using key performance indicators (KPIs), and outcomes were evaluated through the 2025 post-review survey — demonstrating measurable improvements in stakeholder experiences and research support structures across the hospital.
Examples of measurable benefits included increased stakeholder confidence in research processes, greater perceived support for research activities, and more streamlined workflows for research approvals and resource access.
A Replicable Roadmap for Other Centres
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Perhaps the most valuable outcome of this project is its creation of a replicable framework — a roadmap that other healthcare and research institutions can use to assess their own research ecosystems, identify barriers, and design improvement strategies tailored to their context.
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By combining robust mixed-methods research with concrete action planning, the initiative at The Ottawa Hospital stands as a model for how to transition from insight to action — building a more supportive, collaborative, and patient-centred clinical research environment
