Lawson Health Research Institute — the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph's Health Care London — is advancing harm reduction strategies in hospitals to advance care for people who use substances with $72,768 in funding from Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program. Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West, announced the funding in March 2024, emphasizing a commitment to keeping people who use substances safe.
From left: Tammy Fischer, LHSC Clinical Nursing Educator; Dr. Kevin Chan, Corporate Medical Executive, LHSC; Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West; Dr. Lisa Porter, Vice President, Research and Scientific Director, St. Joseph's Health Care London; Dr. Cheryl Forchuk, Lawson Assistant Scientific Director; and Megan Van Boheemen, Director of Harm Reduction Services, Regional HIV/AIDS Connection
Research from Lawson has found patients who use methamphetamine reported stigma and a lack of understanding about addiction among health-care providers and hospital staff. This can sometimes result in patients not seeking care, experiencing withdrawal while receiving care or leaving a hospital against medical advice. To address this, Lawson researchers are implementing and studying harm reduction strategies at LHSC and St. Joseph's.
"There's a lot of stigma and misunderstanding about substance use," said Dr. Forchuk, Scientist and Assistant Scientific Director at Lawson. Dr. Forchuk is co-leading the research with Dr. Michael Silverman, Medical Director of St. Joseph's Infectious Diseases Care Program. "This project aims to embed education on substance use and harm reduction as a foundational way to improve care and outcomes."
Peer Harm Reduction Worker, Darren Scott, and Clinical Nursing Educator, Tammy Fischer, are educating health-care workers about these practices, including the importance of maintaining sharps boxes in patient rooms for safe needle disposal.
This initiative has led to more open communication between patients and health-care teams. Backed by additional government funding, it is part of a broader effort to ensure equitable care for people who use substances.