On October 5, 2023, the Pride in Patient Engagement in Research (PiPER) team at University Health Network (UHN) hosted its inaugural PiPER Research Day.
PiPER is a strategic research initiative launched in 2022 with a mission to engage patients, families and care partners in research to enhance health research, outcomes and care experiences.
The free, hybrid event gave scientists, people with lived experience, trainees and others the opportunity to network, build relationships and exchange the latest information on the current practices of patient engagement in research.
The program featured oral presentations, panels, virtual posters, story sharing, workshops and an art exhibit on the following topics:
- Advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Allyship
- Deepening Practices, Approaches, and Considerations
- Building Capacity for Partnership
- Measuring Engagement & Impact
Keynote speakers Dr. Erin Michalak, from the University of British Columbia, and Carolyn Ziegler, from CREST.BD, presented about power and positioning in patient engagement. In the afternoon, four trainees provided rapid insights that showcased challenges and opportunities in patient engagement in research.
This was followed by another keynote address by Lisa Boivin, Postdoctoral Researcher at the KITE Research Institute who spoke about piecing together meaningful clinical/research relationships using image-based storytelling. In-person attendees received a postcard of Lisa’s artwork.
The program also launched UHN’s Patient Engagement in Research Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to help scientists, research staff and people with lived experience plan, implement, and evaluate patient engagement in research at UHN.
The event was a resounding success with over 400 virtual or in-person registrants. “It was wonderful to be able to share our passion for patient engagement with so many contributors, attendees and leaders from organizations such as the University of Toronto, McMaster University, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Women’s College Hospital, The Ottawa Hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital, Sinai Health and more,” says Dr. Cathy Craven, PiPER Lead and Senior Scientist at KITE. “We achieved our goal of providing insights and sparking discussions and collaborations in engaging people with lived experience.” The voice, perspectives, and reflections of many were most welcome.
Thank you to the PiPER Research Day Planning Committee, volunteers, speakers and attendees who made PiPER Research Day possible.
For more information on PiPER, click here. To watch a video on the Patient Engagement in Research Toolkit, click here.
For questions about PiPER, you can email piper@uhn.ca.
An artist graphically recorded the big ideas from PiPER Research Day in real time.