Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences Launches New Satellite Site in London – ICES Western
Today, the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) is launching their latest satellite site here in London: ICES Western. After four years of planning, this new venture will provide researchers with access to unique scientific data to speed up discovery and improve patient care. ICES Western is located at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital.
Research through ICES supports the effectiveness, quality, equity, and efficiency of healthcare and health services across the province. Satellite sites create an opportunity for scientists who do not currently have access to ICES data to carry out research that supports healthcare planning and delivery. With satellite locations in Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, and now London, ICES links multiple sources of patient and population data, including surveys, individual patient records, and major clinical and administrative databases. The data are linked at the level of the individual subject but completely anonymous. ICES is able to produce unique scientific insights that improve our understanding of healthcare issues, guide decision-making, and inform changes in care delivery.
ICES Western will provide local researchers with direct access to these resources. The new partnership represents a collaborative venture between some of the area’s top health research innovators: the Academic Medical Organization of Southwestern Ontario (AMOSO), Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson), London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), St. Joseph’s Healthcare London (St. Joseph’s), and Western University (Western). As the new location launches, each of these organizations will join together in the belief that, when Southwestern Ontario leads, Southwestern Ontario residents will benefit.
Dr. Amit Garg is the director of this new London-based resource. As a Scientist at Lawson, a Nephrologist at LHSC, a Professor at Western and an Adjunct Scientist at ICES, he understands firsthand the benefit of making connections.
“ICES Western will give us the power to turn raw data into targeted knowledge that we will use to treat patients more efficiently, improving quality of care and quality of life across our region,” says Dr. Garg.
“By increasing the number of scientists and the breadth of scientific expertise, the establishment of satellite sites expands the capacity of ICES to conduct research that contributes to the effectiveness, quality, equity and efficiency of healthcare and health services across Ontario,” says Dr. David Henry, CEO at ICES. “There is no organization like this anywhere else in the world.”
“We are proud to serve as the host site for ICES Western, a tool that will prove invaluable in guiding our understanding of healthcare issues and our decision-making,” says Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO of London Health Sciences Centre.
Lawson Health Research Institute. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Healthcare London, and working in partnership with Western University, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance healthcare around the world.www.lawsonresearch.com
ICES is an independent, non-profit organization that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. Our unbiased evidence provides measures of health system performance, a clearer understanding of the shifting healthcare needs of Ontarians, and a stimulus for discussion of practical solutions to optimize scarce resources. ICES knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad, and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about care delivery and to develop policy.