The UBC Innovation Support Unit (UBC ISU) at the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Family Practice, has recently initiated the Immunization Primary and Community Care Mapping (immPACC) workshop in order to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in local communities across western Canada. As part of the initiative, an interprovincial network of trained facilitators conducts evidence-based investigations, develops simulated patient stories, and applies design thinking to help communities plan more equitable immunizations in conjunction with their key partners.
Dr. Morgan Price, director of the UBC ISU and associate head for research and innovation in the department of family practice explains, “The immPACC method is designed to help communities address the barriers to vaccine uptake and accelerate those conversations to improve local planning in a patient-centred manner. We see that it fast-tracks implementation and complements what public health is doing, because it brings local context to the planning table.”
The immPACC project is financed by the Government of Canada and has already trained multiple facilitators working across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with hopes of expanding across Canada in future.
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Through Strategy 16: Public Relevance, UBC is constantly working to engage with communities across Canada and beyond through academic and research practices.