Become a Patient/Public Partner

We want to make health care better with you, and you don’t need to be a researcher or a health care professional to get involved!

Quality of Care NL partners with NL SUPPORT to engage patients and the public in meaningful ways so that they can provide valuable insights on the work we do to improve the health care system in the province.

NL SUPPORT coordinates a Patient and Public Advisory Council (PPAC) to engage patients in their work. Members of the PPAC are encouraged to engage in the work of both NL SUPPORT and Quality of Care NL, as well as outside patient-oriented research opportunities. You don’t have to be a member of NL SUPPORT’s PPAC to be involved in Quality of Care NL supported projects, but being a member may help you be more meaningfully engaged and provide peer support.

Patient/Public Partners:

• Have experience with the health care system as a patient, a caregiver, or a family member of a patient in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Have an open mind and are able to respectfully engage in conversations with people whose opinions and experiences may differ from their own.
• Can attend meetings, either in-person or virtually (the PPAC meets approximately four times a year. Individual research projects set their own meeting schedule in consultation with team members).
• Are available to provide opinions as needed (in-person or by email).

Questions Patient/Public Partners may be asked include:

• Are we looking at the right problem?
• How should we collect the data?
• What results are important to patients and/or the public?
• What do these results mean to you?
• How should we share the results and with whom?

Time Commitment for Patient/Public Partners:

• Patient/Public Partners who are members of the PPAC meet up to four times a year, either face-to-face or virtually. People who engage in specific research projects will determine the time commitment for each project based on their capacity and the needs of the rest of the research team.
• You will be asked to complete a patient/public partner orientation.
• Meeting materials may need to be reviewed before meetings.
• You may also be contacted via email between meetings for opinions on materials, questions, or results as appropriate.

Benefits of Being a Patient/Public Partner:

• You will make a difference in health research being conducted in NL and nationally.
• You will meet new people with diverse experiences who share the goal of making health care better.

Note: Travel and accommodation costs are covered for in-person activities related to the work of Quality of Care NL/NL SUPPORT (if you live outside St. John’s and have to meet in-person).

For more information on how to become engaged in health research, please contact info@qualityofcarenl.ca or a member of our team.