Road to Recovery

Project Overview

Road to Recovery (R2R) is an innovative model of substance use care being piloted in the Vancouver region, through a partnership between Providence Health Care and Vancouver Coastal Health. R2R is designed to be a culturally safe and low-barrier model of care, with a comprehensive spectrum of addiction services aimed to improve outcomes for individuals with a substance use disorders. It addresses longstanding gaps in the continuum of care by offering a coordinated pathway from initial contact—such as in emergency departments or community addiction clinics—through acute stabilization (e.g., withdrawal management) and into longer-term, recovery-based settings and aftercare supports.

A robust evaluation is underway to determine the impact of the R2R model of care, and is being led by Drs. Seonaid Nolan and Brittany Dennis, both clinician scientists with the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use. More specifically, an observational R2R cohort study will follow participants prospectively to assess health outcomes, care trajectories, and system impacts over time using a baseline and 12-month follow-up questionnaire with linkage to health administrative databases (to facilitate virtual long-term follow-up over 5 years). Beyond this, R2R health services monitoring and quality improvement initiatives are also underway, and focus on real-time, system-level performance metrics (e.g., service utilization, access, flow, and retention) and quality improvement surveys (to capturing patient and provider experiences within this new care model). Such an approach balances scientific rigour with operational relevance, enabling continuous learning and service improvement while building a robust evidence base for the offering of comprehensive, coordinated substance use care.

“Working with the FOM Digital Solutions Research Technology team has been an incredible experience. From the initial database build to the many adaptations needed over time, their support and dedication have been unwavering. This work has required flexibility, creativity, and precision, and the team has consistently delivered with professionalism and responsiveness. Their deep understanding of research needs and commitment to collaborative problem-solving has been instrumental to the success of our evaluation efforts. I truly can’t imagine doing this work without them.”

–Dr. Brittany Dennis