2013 TVN Knowledge Synthesis
Choosing health care options by involving Canada’s elderly: the CHOICE knowledge synthesis project
While patient and citizen engagement has been recognized as a crucial element in health care reform, limited attention has been paid to how best to engage seniors -- the largest growing segment of the population and Canada’s greatest users of the health care system. To improve the system for this population, seniors and their families need to be engaged as active partners in health care research and planning, and in decision-making for their care. The CHOICE Knowledge Synthesis Project: Choosing Healthcare Options by Involving Canada’s Elderly will address this issue by synthesizing current knowledge on patient, family, and caregiver engagement to develop best practice guidelines and recommendations for engaging older patients and their families and caregivers in health care research, planning, and clinical decision making. Through a realist synthesis we will learn from other patient and citizen engagement initiatives, from previous research, and most importantly, from seniors, families and caregivers themselves.
In collaboration with Patients Canada, we hosted a workshop on Feb 10th at Baycrest to explore how patients and caregivers are currently engaged, what resonates most with patients in terms of how information is communicated, and ultimately how patients and caregivers want to be engaged.
CIHR Café Scientifique
The aims of our Café Scientifique are: to provide an opportunity to share what was learned through our research project regarding what is currently working well to connect parts of the health care system for older patients, what areas need improvement, and what patients, family members and health care providers can do to make transitions go as smoothly as possible; encourage residents of Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) region (including patients, health care providers, community stakeholders, and the general public) to engage with researchers, and contribute their views on the research findings, implications, and future directions; promote knowledge sharing, the free flow of information and transparency between the research community and residents of KW region through presentations and interactive discussions in a comfortable and dynamic environment; continue to foster collaborative relationships with our partners and acknowledge their contributions to the InfoRehab Transitions research program; and generate interest in future research initiatives. At the conclusion of the café, it is hoped that each participant will better understand the challenges faced by complex older adults undergoing care transitions and will take away knowledge and skills to better navigate the health care system.