Office for Patient Engagement in Research Activities (OPERA)
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Consultations to support patient-oriented Research
We can provide one-off consultations to support a range of patient-oriented research projects. This can include guidance regarding different methodological approaches, helping to identify potential patient partners for your study, advising on resources and providing practical guidance on topics such as compensation or developing terms of reference.
In addition, if the consultation is regarding the identification and recruitment of a patient advisor for your study, we can provide a joint consultation with colleagues from The Ottawa Hospital Patient And Family Advisory Program (PFAP). The TOH PFAP currently retains almost 200 patient advisors who are engaged in a range of clinical areas. Patient advisors from the PFAP are currently engaged in over 50 research projects at TOH.
For more information, or to book a consultation, please get in touch with us through the Service Request form at the bottom of the page.
Training in patient-oriented research
We offer training on a range of patient-oriented research methods, as well as introductory sessions about patient-oriented research and patient engagement. These can be customized to fit your schedule and availability.
We can provide one-off bespoke training sessions as necessary for patient-oriented research projects. In addition, we can provide training on the CIHR Foundations in Patient-Oriented Research as well as training in a number of key areas:
- Patient Oriented Research Basics – including definitions, guiding principles and examples.
- Patient Oriented Outcome Measures (PROMS) – including definitions, when and how they should be used, and examples.
- How to communicate among stakeholders – key terms, facilitating discussion.
- How to find and access a patient advisor – identifying roles, introduction to the TOH Sharepoint site.
- Nurturing and sustaining partnerships – building trust and relationships, planning effective meetings.
- Evaluating patient engagement – the importance of evaluation, tools and resources, examples.
We can also provide patient-oriented methods-specific training including:
- Interviews and focus groups.
- Consensus methods, including Delphi surveys.
- Questionnaire design.
- Making trials more patient-oriented.
For more information, or to book a consultation, please get in touch with us through the Service Request form at the bottom of the page.
Conduct of methodological research into patient-oriented research
We also conduct research into the methods of public engagement and patient-oriented research.
Completed work includes a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the prevalence of patient engagement in published trials.
Ongoing research includes work to understand the impact that patient engagement on researchers and their research, as well work to understand how non-scientist members of Institutional review Boards (IRBs) in the US are identified, recruited, and trained.
Examples of our work, as well as other research into the methods of patient engagement conducted at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute can be found on our Resources page.
For more information, or to book a consultation, please get in touch with us through the Service Request form at the bottom of the page.
Request a consultation
Please complete the form below to learn more about OMC/OPERA services and to book a consultation. All requests will be processed in the order they were received. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.