Impact of a Health Research Training Program on Patient and Community Partners, and Researchers: A Qualitative Evaluation.

Background: Building capacity through training and education is recommended to support meaningful engagement of patient partners in health research. The Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) programme is a 12‐month initiative that enables patients and community members to co‐design and c...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Health Expectations Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 1 - 13
Autores principales: Ahmed, Sadia, Nielssen, Ingrid, Iyiola, Iqmat, Fairie, Paul, Munro, Sandra, Santana, Maria J.
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Aug2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=196480407&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 196480407
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        13696513
        EVY
      jtl: Health Expectations
      issn: 13696513
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Aug2026
      vid: 29
      iid: 4
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
    artinfo:
      ui:
        196480407
        196480407
        196480407
        10.1111/hex.70731
        196480407
      ppf: 1
      ppct: 12
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
      tig:
        atl: Impact of a Health Research Training Program on Patient and Community Partners, and Researchers: A Qualitative Evaluation.
      aug:
        au:
          Ahmed, Sadia
          Nielssen, Ingrid
          Iyiola, Iqmat
          Fairie, Paul
          Munro, Sandra
          Santana, Maria J.
        affil: Alberta Strategy for Patient Oriented Research, University of Calgary, Calgary AB,, Canada
      sug:
        subj:
          Health Services Research Education
          Action Research Education
          Personal Growth Evaluation
          Patient Participation Evaluation
          Consumer Participation Evaluation
          Research Personnel Education
          Patient Education
          Communities Education
          Research Personnel Psychosocial Factors
          Patient Attitudes Evaluation
          Communities Psychosocial Factors
          Program Evaluation
          Human
          Qualitative Studies
          Funding Source
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Alumni
          Purposive Sample
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Interview Guides
          Thematic Analysis
          Competency Assessment
          Career Planning and Development
          Empowerment
          Authors
          Writing for Publication
          Audiorecording
          Data Analysis Software
          Collaboration
          Descriptive Statistics
          Male
          Female
          Motivation
          Professional Development
          Mentorship
          Commitment
          Research Support
          Selection Bias
          Time
          Group Dynamics
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Building capacity through training and education is recommended to support meaningful engagement of patient partners in health research. The Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) programme is a 12‐month initiative that enables patients and community members to co‐design and conduct qualitative health research projects. Learners are sponsored by clinician researchers, community organisations, and/or jurisdictional health organisations. This study aimed to assess the experiences and impact of the PaCER programme on: (1) past learners' personal development and engagement in health research; and (2) sponsors' research programmes. Methods: We conducted a qualitative impact evaluation involving past learners (alumni) and sponsors of the PaCER programme from 2019 to 2024. A purposive sampling strategy was used, whereby selected alumni and sponsors from the 2019–2024 cohorts were invited to participate in an online semi‐structured interview. Sponsors and alumni with diverse characteristics, including variation in age, ethnicity, educational attainment, and geographic location were invited. The interview guide included questions on the experiences in the PaCER programme, post‐programme research activities, and perceptions of the programme's impact. Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Results: Eighteen participants (12 PaCER alumni and 6 sponsors) were interviewed, and four main themes were identified: (1) seeing the value of the training programme; (2) Diverse people and groups working together; (3) Learner readiness and capacity; (4) Academic opportunities for learners and career growth. Alumni described significant personal impact, empowerment, academic contributions, and increased access to meaningful patient partner opportunities. Alumni reported co‐authoring publications and presenting their work at academic conferences and to various stakeholders, including health system leadership. Many alumni had no prior experience with qualitative participatory research, and participation in the programme supported the development of these research skills. Sponsors also noted impacts on their research programmes, such as securing additional funding informed by PaCER project findings. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that structured, experiential training for patients and community members supports meaningful engagement in health research, contributes to sustained capacity development, and positively influences the patient‐oriented research landscape. Patient or Public Contribution: Patient partners were involved in the design and conduct of the study (data collection), analysis and interpretation of the data, and in the preparation of this manuscript.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N