Tell Your Story
Complete the Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) Training Program and add your voice to health research projects, planning and policy.
Are you living with a health condition and would like to contribute your voice in health planning and health promotion?
The Patient and Community Engagement Research Training Program (PaCER) teaches patients how to conduct research with, by and for patients in their communities. PaCER enables patients to tell their stories with the goal of incorporating research-informed patient voices into health system research, planning and policy.
This program is perfect if you are:
- Living with various health conditions and would like to use your own
- experience to influence health planning and health promotion
- Open to learning about patient-engaged research
- Interested in conducting patient-engaged health research
- Interested in the possibility of establishing a career in research
- or using the PaCER skills in an existing career
What do PaCER researchers do?
Connect in a patient-engaged research network
By completing the PaCER Training Program, you become connected to a large network of professionals who work on research projects related to patient-engaged research.
PaCER graduates may work on health research projects, in research teams and are supported through Alberta Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (AbSPORU)* in identifying these opportunities.
As a patient researcher you may become involved in research in the following ways:
- Join research teams to engage patients in health research
- Work as a patient engagement researcher in healthcare, health charities, clinics, and patient education
- Consult with healthcare teams, decision-making bodies and funding panels
- Share results of patient-engaged research through presentations and publications
Courses
CPE 221 | 40 Hours | Online
Theoretical Foundations in Patient and Community Engagement Research
The first course teaches theoretical foundations in theories related to salutogenesis — a health research theory that focuses on factors that support human health and well-being, rather than disease. The course also focuses on the patient narrative and patient engagement research.
CPE 219 | 40 Hours | Online
Practicum in Research and Consultation Skills in PaCER
The second course teaches co-design and qualitative research methods. Participants will apply their learning by submitting a research ethics protocol based on their proposed research project and co-design work.
CPE 220 | 80 Hours | Online and field work
Internship in Conducting PaCER
The final course requires participants answer a specific research question by conducting a research project with a group of patients.