Grant: Project Grant

Involving patients as partners in the design and conduct of biomedical research - known as patient engagement - helps ensure that studies address what truly matters to those living with health conditions. The practice of patient engagement has gained considerable traction in clinical research (conducted in humans), in part due to increased recognition that patients should be involved as the "ultimate end-users" of biomedical research knowledge. Engaging patients in preclinical laboratory-based research, which is often conducted using animals or cells, may hold similar benefits to those of clinical research. Our previous work demonstrated that preclinical patient engagement remains rare and there is a lack of tools and supports for this practice. We have completed several studies to co-develop guidance and toolkits to enable preclinical patient engagement. In the proposed project, we will adapt, implement, and evaluate our guidance and toolkits. To conduct these studies, we will partner with Canada's provincial and territorial Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) SUPPORT Units and national research networks. We will first scan the Canadian preclinical landscape through a questionnaire and focus groups with SPOR SUPPORT Units and research networks. This will help us to understand current patient engagement practices, evaluate readiness and needs, and adapt our guidance. We will then test and evaluate the guidance with teams of preclinical researchers and patient partners. As a final step, we will convene a meeting with project interest-holders to discuss results and finalize adaptations to our guidance. This project will situate Canadian preclinical researchers as leaders in the global shift towards more inclusive, patient-centered research while optimizing national coordination and collaboration between SPOR SUPPORT Units and research networks.