Location of research
The Huron-Perth-Grey-Bruce region offers exceptional conditions to conduct clinical research. It combines ideal demographic and socio-economic profiles with high quality health care professionals. Huron County alone has a total population of about 60,000 of which 40% are between the ages of 45 and 84. This region proportionally has the third largest group of seniors in Canada, an aging population ideal for clinical research on conditions that are prevalent in this age group.
For stage one of the project, using statistics in Huron County alone, there are approximately 38 physicians practicing in primary community care centres or in one of five community hospitals who could participate as investigators. The Community Health Care centres in Huron and surrounding counties have a large database of patients with diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, uncomplicated arterial hypertension as well as other common chronic conditions.
The benefits of a community based research effort centered in the Huron-Perth-Grey-Bruce area bear repeating.
* Physicians interested in research will have the opportunity to participate. To physicians, the research would be a rewarding experience and may greatly enhance their medical practice. As investigators, they will attend meetings where they would have the chance to interact with peers as well as “leaders of thought” in specific areas of medical research.
* A centrally-located research institute will support original research initiated by local investigators in addition to the physician base. Indirectly, Gateway has the potential to contribute in retaining or attracting physicians to the area.
* Academic centres and the pharmaceutical industry can benefit from a community-based research centre in the Huron-Perth base area. Gateway will become invaluable in the near future as trends continue and indicate that clinical research will focus increasingly on preventative, community based research.
* There is perceptibly a lower incidence of prior continuous medical contact, providing a research segment open to exploration of issues without prejudice
* There is perceptibly poor adherence to medication regimes by patients, and difficult to monitor conditions for self-administered preventive programs
* There is a strong willingness of the general population to cooperate in research studies and as test bases for recognition and for benefits of trials.
The town of Seaforth has been chosen to be the prime location for Gateway administration. The existing medical campus has excess land and excellent supporting infrastructure for Gateway startup and continuance as its role and activity expands. It is well served by provincial and county road network for year-round rural travel. Seaforth community leaders and the Municipality of Huron East have become engaged supportively7 and have recruited its prime researcher, Dr Claudio Munoz.8
