Research improves patient care, and a growing movement aims to engage and involve patients in the research process from start to finish. However, little is known about what meaningful patient engagement in research looks like. To find out, Dr. Dean Fergusson and his team looked at 2,777 trials published between 2011 and 2016. They found only 23 of these studies reported some form of patient engagement, showing much work needs to be done to promote true patient partnership in research. Almost a quarter of these papers involved patient partners from minority and marginalized populations. To help a study generate meaningful results, Dr. Fergusson’s team suggests that in addition to promoting further patient engagement, researchers should adopt a standard way of reporting this in research papers, so it can be studied more easily. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital can get help with patient engagement from the Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) group. This study was published in Research Engagement and Involvement.
Authors: Dean Fergusson, Zarah Monfaredi, Kusala Pussegoda, Chantelle Garritty, Anne Lyddiatt, Beverley Shea, Lisa Duffett, Mona Ghannad, Joshua Montroy, M. Hassan Murad, Misty Pratt, Tamara Rader, Risa Shorr, Fatemeh Yazdi
Funding: This research was possible because of generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital for Research to Improve Patient Care. The researchers have also received support from the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion
The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.
University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas
The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca
Media Contact
Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca
