What is As PER Usual?
As PER (Patient Engagement in Research) Usual is a podcast that explores the current state of patient engagement in Canadian research, and how to make it better.
History
In winter 2022, Anna Chudyk (academic health researcher) and Roger Stoddard (patient partner)1 collaborated on a study that brought together academic researchers and patient partners funded through the Canadian Institute for Health Research’s (or CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR).
The goal was to hear from these two groups, and identify possible ways we can move patient engagement in health research forward in Canada.
After meeting with 30 participants (including Bryn Robinson) over 4 virtual meetings the study identified 10 areas where health research can do better in promoting and conducting patient engagement in Canada.
And now that the study is complete, it was time to share what lessons were learned with the larger community.
Who Are Your Hosts?
Anna Chudyk is a patient-oriented health researcher passionate about meaningfully engaging patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, community groups, policy makers, and other stakeholders in collaborative research that optimizes health and well-being and transforms healthcare.
Bryn Robinson works in research engagement for a healthcare organization in Atlantic Canada. She was one of the research participants in Anna and Roger’s study and Season 1 co-host (only).
Roger Stoddard was a longstanding patient partner and advocate who uses his health issues and lived experiences to help others. Read more about our dear friend, who sadly passed away in December 2022.
The Format
Each season of asPERusual focuses on a pre-designated theme. Each episode of Season 1 focused on a specific future direction identified in Anna and Roger’s study. Each episode of Season 2 focuses on bringing awareness to a Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research entity or network.
In terms of each episode’s format - think of it as a live part of a discussion section of a journal article.
Each week, your host(s) will start with introducing the episode’s topic.
Then, you’ll hear from researchers and patient partners in the field who have addressed some or all of the topic.
In the third “act” of each episode, guests will engage in discussion about practical ways that listeners can apply episode learnings to their own engagement work.
Find The Show
We publish on Substack, which then publishes to Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
We also share the podcast in video form over on our YouTube channel.
Our Goal
In sharing the results of Anna and Roger’s study that explored the perspectives of patients and academic researchers on the present and future of patient engagement, our goal is to provide practical tips for better patient engagement and to create a “community of practice” that will empower listeners to begin making changes in the system.
In other words, we want to help make patient engagement in research the standard, or, as PER usual.
The complete research team for the project, Investigating the enactment of patient engagement in SPOR funded studies: A pan-Canadian mixed methods study, is: Annette Schultz, Anna Chudyk, Carolyn Shimmin, Nicola McCleary, Roger Stoddard, Serena Hickes, and Todd Duhamel.
