Grant: Patient-Oriented Research Collaboration Grants

Our aim is to build a model for patients receiving care with Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) in Alberta, a new way to help patients recover faster with less stress. ERAS surgery patients are encouraged to be active participants by asking questions, sharing information with the ERAS team and filling out the "My Surgery Log Book" which captures their daily progress after surgery (e.g., how often they get out of bed, if they vomit, etc.). Patients want to create a formal system so they can share their knowledge about their surgical experience with ERAS. The model patients will build focuses on them as experts who hold key knowledge to help improve ERAS surgeries. This model will use patient expertise to change surgical practice in Alberta. We anticipate that this patient-centered model for knowledge sharing will also be used as an example within Alberta To build the patient in surgical care model, we are partnering with Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) at the University of Calgary. PaCER runs a free, year-long educational course to train patients to be researchers. Through the intensive training course, patients acquire the skills to capture patient experiences by through research. PaCER has trained patient researchers available to work with ERAS patients. To build a model for full patient inclusion in ERAS, PaCER researchers will conduct focus groups and interviews with ERAS patients. They may also observe patients as they go through surgery. By working closely with PaCER patient researchers, who are themselves patients, we will encourage ERAS patients to take PaCER's training course. This will enable us to support the development of ERAS patients as researchers who will then work with other ERAS patients and help continually improve surgical practice.