Patient partners in the program are invited to share their experiences, personal journeys, and perspectives with the requesting teams. Beyond providing testimonies, they also actively participate in co-designing projects or studies in collaboration with healthcare professionals.
While their activities span various levels of engagement - from presence and expression to deliberation, action, and decision-making - they primarily focus on four key areas.
In the field of healthcare, our partners' activities concern any topic related to improving patient care, for example: focus groups, testimonials, testing applications for patients and/or caregivers, participation in a project as a team member.
Example of care-related activity Improving the patient reception area in the operating room
Patient partners can be consulted by researchers to revise a consent form for a study, for example, or to answer targeted questions related to a research project. Their expertise in this field helps to ensure that information is presented in a language that is easily understood by participants.
Example of research-related activity Discussion on a clinical research protocol
In this area, patient partners can participate in training courses during which they share their testimonials, or co-construct, lead or evaluate a training course with a healthcare professional.
Example of a teaching-related activity Training reception staff to welcome trans* people
In this area, program partners take part in events or projects aimed at reorganizing healthcare. They bring the patient's perspective to medical and nursing care, with the aim of continuous improvement, centered on the cared-for person. They may also be members of a commission related to this field.
Example of an activity related to organization Improving the accessibility of HUG buildings to people with disabilities
In addition to the four key areas of activity listed above, program partners also participate in the life of the HUG through institutional events such as the World Heart Day, the World Palliative Care Day, Quality Day or the Annual Hackathon organized by the hospital. During this event, they can take on different roles: being part of a team, challenging projects or evaluating them as a member of the jury.