Co-producing research projects

Annette McKinnon

We (PAN members) can bridge silos and get this knowledge "translated" into CIHR-SPOR through our partners and contacts. Why does Canada seem so intent on inventing it province by province, and research institution by institution? Citizen-patient researcher networks (PAN) span those silos. We can embody knowledge translation.

INVOLVE guidance and principles that came out last week: http://www.invo.org.uk/posttypepublication/guidance-on-co-producing-a-research-project/

20 pages

Carolyn Canfield

Thanks Annette and all PAN members,

I find these 20 short pages are real gold. It may be about research, but why not apply it to every facet of PAN members' work? Improvement, policy, service design, evaluation, all of the activities that consume our amazing commitments for a better system.

Just last week, I heard lots about "Learning Health Systems". I do not think this can be accomplished without collaboration with full respect and recognition for our part in defining and achieving both "learning" and "health". How could it be otherwise?

I do believe that it is patients who are the key to connecting up the silos across all the hierarchies and organizational bureaucracies we encounter in healthcare. Our experience requires it for quality and safety.

Have you seen this to be true? I seem to regularly be introducing one professional to another because they have common interests but have never met and often have never heard of the other's initiative.

When we hear "patient-centred", it is all too easy for the professionals in medicine and healthcare to readily agree without changing their ideas or approach. When was medicine and healthcare NOT patient-centred, at least in the most basic sense of providing care to patients, their reason for being??

So real change means following these "Key Principles" below, I think. How do you see it?

Take a read, join the conversation here, bounce these ideas off your colleagues and networks, and spread the word. I would love to see an adaptation of these fundamentals well beyond "research" to become our foundation for collaboration with patients and care partners in Canada.

Warm regards,
Carolyn

Key Principles

**Sharing of power – the research is jointly owned and people work together to achieve a joint understanding
Including all perspectives and skills – make sure the research team includes all those who can make a contribution
Respecting and valuing the knowledge of all those working together on the research – everyone is of equal importance
Reciprocity – everybody benefits from working together
Building and maintaining relationships – an emphasis on relationships is key to sharing power. There needs to be joint understanding and consensus and clarity over roles and responsibilities. It is also important to value people and unlock their potential.