About
The SPARK study is a CIHR-funded national study that was birthed out of the lack of data on social determinants of health in primary care settings in Canada. Healthcare organizations do not currently integrate social determinants data with clinical data, and health providers are not currently trained to routinely respond to social needs. This data could be used to better tailor care to a patient’s social context, improve diagnostic accuracy by incorporating social determinants as risk factors, identify inequities in the uptake of health services and in health outcomes, stimulate the development of new programs, and advance research on inequities.
Impact
The goal of the SPARK study is to create a set of standardized questions, called the SPARK tool for routinely collecting sociodemographic data in primary care and provide guidelines for the implementation of the questions while properly engaging patients and communities. Using a randomized-control trial, the SPARK study also aims to uncover strong evidence for the most effective way to address social needs at the point-of-care.
This project was awarded the 2019 NAPCRG People’s Choice Award for commitment to patient-entered outcomes research.
As part of our mission to improve the collection and use of data on the social determinants of health in primary care across Canada, we have compiled a range of supportive resources, including clinic posters and templates for messaging patients. We also created a Change Package to guide clinical, Quality Improvement, and other teams in primary health care in collecting and using social data.
Recruitment
To get a copy of the SPARK Tool and related materials and resources, please first complete this survey to help us better understand the reach and adoption of the SPARK Tool across Canada. This survey should take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete and consists of three parts:
- Participant information
- SPARK Scale-Up Reach and Adoption Survey
- Optional contact details for follow-up
Please coordinate within your team to gather responses from the appropriate staff and submit one survey response per clinic. If you would like a PDF copy of the survey to review with your team, please email us at info@deependcanada.org.
START THE SURVEY TO ACCESS RESOURCES
Findings
SPARK Study Updates
For the most recent updates on the SPARK study, please refer to this document which will be updated regularly:
SPARK UPDATES & HISTORY