Patient Engagement in Cancer Research Community of Practice
Welcome to the Community of Practice
Patient engagement is a crucial part of meaningful cancer research but has been siloed across Canada. Recognizing many patient engagement initiatives exist, the Patient Engagement in Cancer Research Community of Practice was developed to bridge these silos by:
- Building relationships and connections with others involved in patient engagement
- Developing and harnessing patient engagement resources
- Facilitating cross-organizational collaborations
The overall mission of the Community of Practice is to embed and optimize patient engagement in cancer research in Canada.
A Short History of the Community of Practice
Judy Needham, a person with lived experience, had the idea to bring people together and in 2022 the Community of Practice was started by 8 people including researchers, people with lived experience and administrators. Community of Practice development included:
- Establishment of Executive Sponsorship and a Secretariat for support, currently provided by the Canadian Cancer Society
- Establishment of a Steering Committee
- Development of a Terms of Reference and a call for membership
After inviting people from across Canada, the first Community of Practice meeting was held in April 2022.
What is a Community of Practice?
Why host a Community of Practice?
What you can expect
As of 2024, there are more than 70 members in the Community of Practice from more than 45 organizations. People have many different backgrounds including lived experience, researchers, clinicians, research funders, trial sponsors, research networks, not for profits, and industry. Seven provinces and more than 20 cities are represented. Growing the diversity of the Community of Practice is one focus of the group.