Demographics

Gateway’s research base is ripe for investigation to confirm rationales for apparently poor medical follow-up and medication compliance, and to expand the knowledge base into the orphan population to find quantifiable variations in rural-based and urban-based research.

Slides 3 to 12 in the appendixed presentation provide statistical data from 2001, the most recent survey, outlining the problems of existing treatable ailments in the area, province and nationally, and compliance with medication regimes.

In the eastern part of Huron County and western Perth where Gateway will begin, the 12,000 population has approximately 5,000 orphan patients. Statistics Canada classifies this population as 55% ‘rural’. 40% are between the ages of 45 and 84. The region proportionally has the third largest group of seniors in Canada. Huron County and area has an aging population ideal for clinical research on conditions that are prevalent in this age group.

Gateway’s premise about the nature of data gathered in rural settings will be tested through rigorous interviews and examination to differentiate why urban research differs from rural.

An interview template will be designed in a community-participatory mode to ascertain the variables affecting causality and treatment success in this strongly rural setting. As well, data will be researched from the literature on similarities and differences between the results and those gathered in an urban setting to confirm suspicions about erroneous projections of data from urban bases to rural behaviours and results.

Due to the noted differences in demographics, access to medical attention, remoteness of primary care centres and reluctance of residents to use medical facilities except under presenting medical conditions, the characteristics of the rural sector will be explored in depth to quantify the nature and extent of differences from comparable urban cohorts.

It is predicted that a growing number of drugs under development will require larger and more expensive clinical trials involving community hospitals to a greater extent. Industry will thus welcome a rural community research centre to provide uncomplicated patients with single conditions of interest, as opposed to the usually more complicated patient of any tertiary service.