News

Interactive ‘road map’ for patient-oriented research teams now available in French

The roadmap for patient and public engagement in health research developed by the BC SUPPORT Unit has been adapted to French thanks to a collaboration between with the Unité de soutien SSA Québec.

Research teams across Canada now have access to an interactive French-language ‘road map’ to guide patient engagement in a health research project.

Researchers are increasingly asked to include people with lived experience in their work. But many don’t know where to begin, or how people with lived experience could be involved.

That’s why the BC SUPPORT Unit co-developed the first English-language road map with patient partners in 2019.

“We knew that researchers wanted to involve people with lived experience on their research teams, but didn’t know what to do first”

Stirling Bryan, responsable scientifique en chef de Health Research BC

Now, the road map has been adapted for French-language speakers through a partnership between the BC SUPPORT Unit and Unité de soutien SSA Québec. The teams translated and validated the road map to support patient engagement in health research in all parts of Canada.

“People with lived experience can offer vital insight into challenging health questions,” said Sonia, a patient partner working with Unité de soutien SSA Québec. “I am honoured to be part of the team who helped contextualize the tool for the French-language context.”

In Québec there’s an exponentially growing interest in, and practice of, patient engagement. The road map is one way to increase involvement of people with lived experience in health research. The French-language road map will help research teams, including patients, understand the many ways to support people with lived experience as experts in health research.

“Patient partners and research teams in Québec and in francophone ecosystems of Canada will benefit from the road map immensely,” said Myriam Fournier-Tombs, Coordinator of the Axe Partenariat at the Unité de soutien SSA Québec and Partnership Network Lead at the Center of Excellence on Partnership with Patients and the Public. “We’re grateful to our patient partners, research leads and to the BC SUPPORT Unit for supporting this vital work.”

Funding for the French-language translation of the road map was provided by the BC SUPPORT Unit and Unité de soutien SSA Québec. Both organizations are part of the Strategy for Patient Oriented Research led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, in partnership with provincial governments.

Visit the French-language road map

Visit the English-language road map