What is a patient partner?
A patient is someone with personal experience of a health issue, including informal caregivers such as family and friends. The picture below explains more graphically what a patient partner is:
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Do you have personal experience as a patient in BC? Or are you an informal caregiver of someone who does?
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Find out more by exploring these options:
There are a number of ways you can help shape health research in BC. For example, you can get involved in health research governance, help set research priorities, or work as part of a team to conduct research.
- Visit the BC SUpport for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Unit homepage.
- Fill out our short online inquiry form. We’ll get back to you to start a conversation.
- Read New Roles for Families in Research to Improve Child and Youth Health.
- View a recording of a webinar: Who, me? Yes, you! Becoming a patient partner in health research.
- Visit our Key Learning Resources page.
- Find out more about our Patient Council on our webpage.
- Visit the Patient Partner Research Opportunities page, created by the Patient Voices Network, to find out what opportunities are currently posted and sign up as a volunteer.
- Sign up for the REACH BC platform, which connects patients interested in research with research opportunities in the province of British Columbia.
- To find out about resources and training opportunities, visit our resources page and filter for "patients, family members and caregivers."
- Patient Partner Appreciation Policy
- Patient Council and advisory committees
- Read about our stakeholders, including stories of success from patient partners.
- Patient Partners: Integral to building learning health systems
- Join the BC SUPPORT Unit's Electronic Communities of Practice, or eCoPs to find other people to collaborate with, and get access to more tools, resources and information about patient-oriented research in BC.