Public engagement

Principles of Public Participation

At the core of the Patient Voices Network is the belief that patients affected by a health care decision should be involved in the process of reaching that decision. There are many benefits to public participation, for both patients and providers:

  • Providers are often focused on their own part of the health care system, and the patient may be the only one who experiences the entire system of care.
  • By involving patients from the beginning, concerns can be addressed early, making more efficient use of time and resources.
  • When patients have knowledge and the confidence that their voices are heard, they are better able to manage their own care and make contributions to their community.

Levels of Public Participation

Following the model developed by the International Association of Public Participation, the Patient Voices Network uses five categories to define the levels of engagement: inform, consult, involve, collaborate and empower.

It is important to recognize that one category is not inherently “better” than another. Depending on the topic, the resources available, and many other considerations, the PVN will match patients to placements that fall under any of these categories.

  What is it? Examples

Inform

Patients receive balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solution.
  • Websites and newsletters
  • Open houses on community issues

 

Consult

Patient feedback is obtained on analysis, alternatives, and/or decisions.
  • Focus groups
  • Surveys
  • Public forums or “town hall” meetings

Involve

Working directly with patients throughout a process to ensure that concerns and feedback are consistently understood and considered.
  • Providing the patient perspective in an improvement team
  • Participation in a panel discussion at a symposium
  • Workshops or mapping sessions

Collaborate

Participate as an equal partner in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and the identification of a solution.
  • Steering committees
  • Member of an improvement team

Empower

Final decision-making is in the hands of the public.
  • A patient working group that is responsible for specific decisions
  • A public referendum

Part of PVN’s role is to ensure that everyone involved in a placement has the same expectations about the patient’s role. There will be circumstances where a patient wishes to participate a highly collaborative placement like an advisory committee. In other cases, a one-time consultation is more appropriate, and this may be a good fit to a patient who is not able to commit to an ongoing role.

For more information about how the Model of Public Participation is at work in BC, see the The Integrated Primary and Community Care Patient and Public Engagement Framework.