Montréal, December 13, 2004 – The Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Pharmacy of Université de Montréal, in collaboration with the Canadian Council for Research in Disease Management, announced the creation of a Disease Management Research Group today.
The Canadian Council for Research in Disease Management is providing Université de Montréal with a $4-million start-up grant over five years to establish the Disease Management Research Group.
A growing need for knowledge and information in disease management
Disease management research measures the value and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in the treatment regimens of real patients. Research initiatives determine and close the gap between optimal and usual care, by creating links that help incorporate the latest and best research knowledge into usual clinical practice. This approach involves sharing knowledge of discoveries to help improve the health of patients.
Because disease management projects run for relatively long periods and involve relatively large numbers of patients, program partners are able to measure the efficacy of treatment in specific, real life situations and correlate these with economic data. Research results provide powerful decision-making tools for health-care professionals, administrators and policy-makers throughout the health-care system.
“Health-care interventions today are complex, and the data available is often fragmented,” said Dr. Jean Rouleau, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. “Everyone recognizes that factors such as diagnosis, prescription and patient compliance with therapy are among the variables that influence whether or not treatment is successful. Disease management is key in managing these variables and in closing gaps in care.”
Partners bring substantial experience to the table
“The pharmaceutical industry has been actively involved in disease management programs for many years and has developed substantial experience and expertise in creating and running disease management programs,” said Jean-François Leprince, President of the Board of the Canadian Council for Research in Disease Management. “The university will become a key partner in disease management and develop new knowledge that will profit all the stakeholders in the health-care system, patients in particular.
“Université de Montréal has researchers with key competencies in the range of disciplines required to make advances in disease management. As such, the university is a very appropriate partner for a project of this scope. We hope to capitalize on the opportunity to become the world-wide leader in disease management research and implementation.”
“This initiative will allow experts from the Faculty of Pharmacy, the Faculty of Medicine, HEC Montréal and other schools and faculties to focus on the same complex and interrelated issues” said Dr. Jacques Turgeon, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy. “This kind of concerted effort, bringing together as it does a multi-disciplinary team, is very promising in terms of improving health-care management.”
Efforts are currently underway by the university to have a director for the Disease Management Group in place by spring 2005. The research team is currently being formed and has already begun the process of determining the group’s initial scientific programs.
About Université de Montréal
Founded in 1878, Université de Montréal has 13 faculties and with its two affiliated schools, HEC Montréal and École Polytechnique, is the foremost institution of higher education and research in Quebec, the second largest in Canada and among the largest in North America. The institution is the sole Canadian university to deliver programs in all the disciplines of the life sciences.
About the Canadian Council for Research in Disease Management
The Canadian Council for Research in Disease Management is a not-for-profit organization founded by the private sector. Pfizer Canada, AstraZeneca Canada, Merck Frosst Canada, and Aventis, part of the global sanofi-aventis Group, are among the founding members. The mission of the organization is to provide funding for disease management research.
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For further information:
Marc Tulin
Press Officer
Université de Montréal
(514) 343-7593
Aspasia Choremis
Project manager
Kelly+Aylen for the Canadian Council for Research in Disease Management
(514) 286-9025 ext. 203
