Panel from "The Don'ts and Do's" Top 10 recommendations for researchers working with lived experience partners

An increasing number of patients and family members are collaborating with health researchers on their research projects. Patient partners help ensure that research is relevant to patients, making it more likely to improve care.

Known as patient engagement in research, The Ottawa Hospital is leading the way in this emerging practice.

Patient engagement is relatively new and can take many different forms. To help future teams, researchers and patient partners have been sharing what they’ve learned from the experience.

Individuals with lived experience who worked with Dr. Simon Hatcher’s team on suicide prevention research developed a list of 10 recommendations for researchers based on their experiences. The comic format uses scenarios to make these recommendations both practical and memorable.

Comic creators and collaborators: Jennifer Smith, Emily Adams, Jessica Ward-King, Claude Lurette, Alies Maybee

Illustrator: Emily Adams

Graphic design: Andy Gauthier

Project support: Sarah MacLean, Valerie Testa, Nicole Dunn, Nicole Edgar, Craig MacKie 

Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Collaboration Grant

Researchers interested in partnering with patients can contact Zarah Monfaredi, Ottawa Methods Centre SPOR Program Facilitator, by filling out an online Intake Form.

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.  

Media Contact

Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca