Over the past several years, BC Renal has strived to grow a successful patient and family engagement network — one in which engagement is meaningful, and patient and family voices are considered on individual, program and system levels. To ensure continuous quality improvement, we regularly evaluate our progress — in large part through partnership experience surveys of patient partners, committee chairs, project managers and staff.
Results from our survey earlier this year were overwhelmingly positive: patient partners reported feeling valued and satisfied with their participation in BC Renal committees and working groups, while committee chairs, project managers and staff noted the range of positive contributions made by patient partners.
Other key highlights:
- Since March 2020, the number of patients and family members in the network has more than doubled – from 61 to 139 – with 25 members actively engaged in provincial committees or other activities.
- The number of short-term or one-off engagement opportunities has increased.
- 100% of patient partners who completed the 2024 survey feel able to express their ideas comfortably, have a clear understanding of the purpose of engagement opportunities, and are confident BC Renal takes their feedback into consideration.
- 96% of patient partners are satisfied with engagement opportunities.
- Beyond sharing unique perspectives and co-designing patient resources, patient partners have steered discussions, identified priorities, and driven positive improvements in kidney care.
Opportunities for improvement:
The survey also identified some items to work on:
- Additional clarity on the engagement process and roles of all involved
- Enhanced guidance for committee leads on effective communication with patient partners between meetings, and how to navigate difficult discussions during meetings
In the spirit of centering the patient voice, we feel it’s fitting to conclude with the words of two BC Renal patient partners:
“I am so impressed by the desire of the BC Renal community to keep improving practice and the dedication to improving patient care.”
“The energy I draw from the discussions and discovery of new information motivates me in a long struggle with complex health problems.”
