Patient Partner Spotlight

In April, we discussed why the Patient Advisory Committee is vital to POPLAR's success. But what does patient-oriented research look like in everyday practice? Recently, POPLAR's Patient Advisory Committee discussed what role patient partners should play in the program. Two key questions emerged: How do we make sure patient partners are meaningfully involved in research? How do we connect researchers with the right patient partners? Involving Patients Early and Often The goal

With one of POPLAR’s missions being to “enhance Ontarians’ experience of care,” patient perspectives on Ontario’s primary care system and broader ideas of what a good care experience looks like are essential. POPLAR, as a network of Practice-based Learning and Research Networks (PBLRNs), values opportunities to learn from patient partners. In terms of research, POPLAR respects guidelines put forth from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research which state that patients “..

Hello POPLAR Community! Photo by Lisa Crouch: Claire Wootten leading a Dancing With Parkinson's Class. My name is Claire Wootten, and I have been a POPLAR patient partner since 2023. I also recently joined the Community Council for UPLEARN––the University of Toronto’s Practice and Community-Based Learning And Research Network. As a life-long user of Canada’s healthcare system, I wanted to put my personal experience to effective use and have happily found that avenue through P