Grant: Project Grant

Within the healthcare community, there have been growing concerns about the time it takes for research to be applied to practice. Recent initiatives, such as the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), have stressed the need for researchers to work with patients and other stakeholders to develop research that reflects patient values and improves health. These changes have resulted in more patients being involved in research for the purposes of developing more responsive research that addresses challenging health issues, accounts for the needs and priorities of patients, and improves outcomes. Research networks are 'engagement-friendly' environments and patients are increasingly called upon to identify priorities and inform the way that studies are developed and undertaken. While there has been a sharp increase in research that explores how patients are engaged in research, little is known about the organizational factors that support patient engagement. Our research attempts to address this gap by: 1) examining the organizational factors that support patient engagement in six Canadian and two British health research networks; and 2) developing markers (or indicators) of engagement-capacity for patient engagement in health research networks. To learn more about the organizational supports for patient engagement, we will undertake: 1) A systematic review of the literature to examine current knowledge; 2) Case studies with networks to understand how organizational factors influence patient engagement; and 3) Structured meetings with network members and patients to develop indicators of engagement. The findings of this work can help health research networks to assess and improve the conditions needed for patient engagement. Our team brings together experienced researchers, stakeholders, and patient partners and our findings will be of interest to researchers, networks, research funders and patient groups.