“[The PaCE consultation] was a great opportunity to engage the PaCE community and bridge the gap between research and practice.” -PaCE consultation participant
Patient and Clinician Engagement (PaCE), is a NAPCRG program funded by a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington Engagement Award, that educates community members, clinicians, and researchers on how to engage patients in primary care research. Over the past 5 years PaCE has developed a cadre of community members and practicing clinicians with the knowledge and understanding of the unique features of primary care research who are prepared for advocacy and engagement in research projects and other initiatives.
In November 2018, PaCE hosted more than 40 patients and clinicians at the NAPCRG Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, where PaCE debuted an exciting new service, Patient and Clinician Research Project Consultations. This service transpired after Dr. William Hogg, MD, Senior Research Advisor and Faculty at the University of Ottawa, contacted PaCE with a request for feedback on a research project he is leading. This project centers on the association between spatial proximity of patients and better health outcomes. Dr. Hogg requested the consultation to explore 3 questions:
How do patients currently choose their provider?
Are there simple ways that practices could encourage greater connections among their patients?
What do patients and providers think about this?
During the NAPCRG Annual Meeting, an invitation was extended to all PaCE participants to attend the consultation on Sunday evening for 90 minutes. All attendees were given details of Dr. Hogg’s project beforehand, including a summary of the project and questions to be answered by the PaCE members.
On Sunday evening, 24 PaCE members attended the consultation, which began with introductions around the hollow-square table. Dr. Hogg then gave a more detailed explanation of his project, including previous studies and presentation of preliminary data. PaCE members were encouraged to ask questions as the consultation progressed and commented on all aspects of the project, giving the patient and clinician perspective. The consultation closed with a final question posed by Dr. Hogg, going around the table each PaCE member gave their response, thoughts, and asked any additional questions.
One PaCE consultation participant summed up the experience commenting,
“This was a great experience to feel as though my thoughts had a voice in matters that typically are not in my area of work. I am excited to have been a participant and look forward to future events where being a patient can benefit the practitioner’s role.”
Shortly after the consultation, PaCE participants, including Dr. Hogg, were asked to give feedback about the experience and possible future PaCE involvement in research project consultations. Preliminary data from the feedback surveys show strong support for consultation activities between the PaCE community and researchers. Of the consultation participants, 58% responded to the survey. Of those who responded:
92% stated that the consultation was a good use of PaCE knowledge and resources
92% stated that the consultation will result in better research moving forward
85% stated that the consultation was worth their time and effort
100% stated that PaCE consultations should be pursued at future Family Medicine conferences
100% stated that they would be willing to participate in future PaCE consultations
Dr. Hogg’s feedback included that he has incorporated the insights and advice garnered from the consultation into a study, for which he is now seeking funding.
The PaCE team learned valuable lessons from this initial consultation, and is now ready to take this service to a broader audience of researchers and organizations. PaCE is currently accepting proposals to be considered for consultations by a group of eager, knowledgeable, primary care focused community advisors. If you’re research question or concept can gain value and focus through a PaCE consultation, please contact Jessica Sand at JSand{at}NAPCRG.org.
- © 2019 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.