Engaging patients is what YSPOR is all about.
YSPOR applies a broad understanding of the term “patient”, including not only individual people with lived experience (PWLE) of the health system and their families or caregivers, but also communities, with an emphasis on Indigenous communities, and Yukon First Nations.
If patients are involved in a research project in any manner other than as a research participant, they are considered Patient Partners. Patient Partners are active and equal members of health research teams, and who provide insights and input on health research priorities and collaborate on project processes. Patients and family members can serve a variety of roles on the research team, based on their abilities and interests and the research team needs. Some examples include choosing research priorities, advising on different research approaches, and helping with data interpretation and analysis. Patients can help researchers write surveys that are more understandable or relevant for the research participants or help with focus groups and interviews; their input is often invaluable in interpreting data. In addition, YSPOR has advisory committees which include people with lived experience.
To get involved with YSPOR as a PWLE and/or Patient Partner, please contact yspor@yukonu.ca