Position Statement on partnership in Health and Social Services

From public policy to population health: partnership, a wise choice for creating value that benefits the community

In the context of the law on the governance of the health and social services system and given the current challenges, their complexity, and the limitations of the healthcare system, the provincial partnership community Expériences deemed it essential to clarify the health partnership offering, democratize its outlines, components, and content, while ensuring the involvement of health partners. This position statement has three sections:

The central element of this statement is that it is crucial to invest in the healthcare partnership by adopting a comprehensive vision that maximizes benefits for the population and for the entire system.

Team

Editorial Committee

• Catherine Wilhelmy, Co-Director of Scientific Management, Unité de soutien SSA Québec, Co-Leader of the Experiences Community, Health Partner
• Karina Prévost, Co-Leader of the Experiences Community, Health Partner
• Marie-Pascale Pomey, Public Health Physician, Scientific Co-Advisor, CEPPP, Full Professor, Department of Health Management, Evaluation and Policy, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Chairholder, Research Chair in Technology Assessment and Advanced Modalities, CHUM
• Myriam Fournier-Thombs, Co-Director of the CEPPP
• Louis Lochhead, Health Partner, member of the Experiences community and patient coordinator at CEPPP
• Virgil Luca, retired physician, Health Partner, member of the Experiences community
• Marie-Dominique Poirier, Health Partner, member of the Experiences community
• Antoine Groulx, Scientific Director of the Unité de soutien SSA Québec, researcher, clinician and full professor at Laval University
• Eva Villalba, MBA, MSc., VBHC Green Belt, Director, Coalition priorité cancer au Québec
• Vincent Dumez, Patient Director, Co-Scientific Director, CEPPP
• Myra Drolet, Communications Advisor, Unité de soutien SSA Québec

Contributed to the enhancement and revision of the content (in alphabetical order)

• Zamzam Akbaraly, Health Partner, member of the Experiences community
• Kelvin Arroyo, Health Partner, member of the Committee of People Affected by Cancer, Quebec Cancer Priority Coalition
• Marie-Claude Battista, Director of the Office of Development and Partnerships, Université de Sherbrooke
• Louise Bertrand, health partner, member of the Expériences community
• Denis Boutin, health partner, member of the Expériences community and co-chair of the CRCHUS patient partner strategy committee
• Magaly Brodeur, researcher at the CHUS Research Center, family physician, professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke
• Julie Carignan, Health Partner
• André Carpentier, Scientific Director, CHUS Research Center, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke
• Erin Cook, Director of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Development, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
• Pierre-Albert Coubat, General Director, Coopérative de Travailleurs d’Ambulance de l’Estrie
• Caroline Demers, Health Partner, Community Member and Member of the CRCHUS Patient-Partner Strategy Committee
• Jean-Pierre Després, Researcher, Scientific Director, VITAM, Sustainable Health Research Center, Co-Scientific Chair, Research Chair in Sustainable Health
• Philippe Després, Researcher, Full Professor, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics, and Optics, Laval University
• Nathalie Faucher, health partner
• Isabelle Gaboury, Scientific Director, Académie Qualité Santé, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke
• Marie-Pierre Gagnon, Full Professor, Faculty of Nursing, Canada Research Chair in Health Technologies and Practices, Université Laval
• Jean-Baptiste Gartner, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Laval University
• Ariane Girard, RN, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences FMSS School of Nursing, University of Sherbrooke
• Thomas Joly-Mischlich, Oncology Pharmacist, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS
• Catherine Hudon, Researcher, Family Physician, Canada Research Chair in the Implementation of Integrated Care for People with Complex Needs, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Family Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke
• Annie Lamontagne, health partner
• Yves Leblanc, research coordinator, University of Sherbrooke
• Lucie Lacombe, health partner
• Jean-Guillaume Marquis, head of department, patient experience, spiritual care and volunteers, CIUSSS Estrie-CHUS
• Mireille Morin, health partner
• Marie-Eve Poitras, Associate Professor, Researcher, Nurse, Holder of the CRMUS Research Chair on Optimal Professional Practices in Primary Care
• Guy Poulin, Co-holder of the Research Chair in Sustainable Health, Citizen Health Partner
• Amélie Tétu, Research Professional, CHUS Research Center
• Nicole Tremblay, Health Partner, Community Member Experiences
• Stéphane Tremblay, President and CEO, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS
• Caroline Wong, Director of CEPPP

We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the development of this position statement for their valuable collaboration. We would also like to thank Quebec’s Ministry of health and social services for its openness to partnership in health and human services.

Executive Summary

The Science of Partnership

The purpose of this position statement is to take stock of the science of partnership as it is developing in Quebec and elsewhere in the world. It brings together and clarifies the roles of population forces that are essential to co-construction in health. The document provides an overview of the continuum of partnership in the health trajectory of individuals, highlighting the relevance, importance, and value of this approach.

Complementarity of knowledge

Today, the complementarity of the experiential, professional, and scientific knowledge of those involved, including those directly or indirectly affected by a physical, mental, or psychosocial health condition, is increasingly recognized, particularly in Quebec’s new Bill 15 (section 20). However, the potential of this complementarity remains largely untapped. It is essential to strengthen collaboration between stakeholders in the health sector and the population in order to promote sustainable health and integrate knowledge gained from lived experience. This will contribute to the continuous improvement of services, quality of care, research, and governance.

Clarification is needed

Health partnerships are developing on several fronts. In the field, there is still some confusion about roles, particularly with user committees, which prevents the full potential of each group or individual from being exploited. This statement clarifies the different forms of involvement, their specificities, and the associated concepts. Whether through partnership, co-construction, advocacy, or promotion, the roles of the population are both essential and complementary, and it is important to clarify them in order to mobilize the right people in the right places.

The Quebec partnership ecosystem

The Position Statement on Partnership also presents the main strengths, levers, and initiatives that have shaped Quebec’s unique partnership ecosystem, which is recognized worldwide (Pomey, 2015), as well as the obstacles that hinder its development. Notable achievements include the creation of citizen roundtables on sustainable health, partnership offices in health and social services institutions, the creation of research chairs in co-leadership with patients, and the involvement of health partners in medical training.

In addition, health partners have recently become involved in strategic spheres by participating in the transition committee and projects. The goal of our health and social services system is to provide quality care and services, in accordance with the law, while generating value for society. However, neither its offering, nor its operationalization, nor the performance indicators used to measure its efficiency have been designed in co-construction with the main stakeholders: the population that benefits from the Quebec health system.

Strengthening and maximizing the contribution of the expertise in health partnerships in Quebec: 5 recommendations

This position statement presents strategic opportunities to strengthen and maximize the contribution of Quebec expertise in health partnerships in its province. It formulates five key recommendations for taking full advantage of Quebec’s skills and experience in this area.

This assessment puts forward recommendations based on an understanding of the information available about the structures in place at the time of publication. It aims to consolidate partnerships in the current context of transformation of Quebec’s health and social services system, taking into account the capabilities and challenges of this system. Here are the five main recommendations: