Client Engagement
Client Engagement in Healthcare
Client engagement involves client partners throughout a program evaluation or different stages of a research project, from designing the research questions to knowledge mobilization. Client Oriented Research (COR) in healthcare, similarly entails a research project led by a multidisciplinary team to meet client-identified priorities and improve client outcomes while engaging client partners in the research continuum (ABS Portals, n.d.).
Client Engagement Improves Quality of Care
The importance of collaborating with client partners in healthcare research and evaluations to improve the quality of care received by client is recognized by healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers worldwide (Kaur & Pluye, 2019). Moreover, current literature showcases that client collaboration in healthcare research and evaluation improves client health literacy and awareness, treatment quality, healthcare services, and client quality of life (Marzban et al., 2022).
Client Engagement at St. Joseph’s Care Group (SJCG)
SJCG values a collaborative approach to healthcare solutions to build healthier communities with our Client & Family Council and our annual organization-wide Client Satisfaction Survey.
Client Engagement Resources
The Centre for Applied Health Research (CAHR) has compiled a list of tools and resources to support program evaluators and researchers with their client engagement.
Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit
A how-to guide for researchers to incorporate client engagement.
Canadian Cancer Society
Provides a compilation of resources on why client engagement is important; provincial and territorial client engagement resources along with a more general compilation of resources.
Canadian Institute of Health Research
Provides resources, training and workshop on client engagement in research along with detailing its importance in healthcare research.
Cochrane Training: Engaging Indigenous patient providers in POR in Canada
Webinar on including Indigenous clients in COR based on the successes and learnings of the Indigenous client partners platform project in Quebec.
Culturally Safe Patient Engagement
A guide created by Health Quality BC in collaboration with Indigenous client partners. The guide includes 8 key principles and recommended actions to support healthcare partners working with Indigenous client and family partners in a culturally safe manner.
Indigenous Patient Family and Community Engagement Toolkit
Developed by Indigenous Primary healthcare Council to “support and guide Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations (IPHCOs) and all Indigenous communities and organizations involved in the planning, design, delivery, and evaluation of health services for Indigenous Peoples to partner, collaborate and engage in a good way”.
Ontario’s Strategy for POR Support Unit (SPOR SUPPORT Unit)
Shares material for training researchers on client partnership. Additionally shares resources for evaluating client and researchers experiences with client partnerships and engagement throughout a research project.
References
ABS Portals. (n.d.). Patient engagement in health research: A how-to guide for researchers. ABS Portals. https://absporu.ca/resource/patient-engagement-in-health-research-a-how-to-guide-for-researchers/
Kaur, N., & Pluye, P. (2019). Delineating and operationalizing the definition of patient-oriented research: A modified e-Delphi study. Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, 6, 7–16. https://doi.org/10.17294/2330-0698.1655
Marzban, S., Najafi, M., Agolli, A., & Ashrafi, E. (2022). Impact of Patient Engagement on Healthcare Quality: A Scoping Review. Journal of patient experience, 9, 23743735221125439. https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735221125439