Canadian Institutes of Health Research Evaluation Framework

The main objective of this project is to develop a national adaptable framework for the evaluation of patient and public engagement (PPE) in research.

This project have two complementary goals:

1) Building consensus within the Canadian community on the core evaluation criteria, process indicators and impacts indicators of PPE in research; and
2) Develop guidelines to implement the evaluation framework and adapt it to different contexts.

During this one-year project, a national coalition of patient-oriented research leaders, including representatives from patient-oriented research support organizations, patient partners, engagement experts, and health system leaders, we will aim to develop a national yet adaptable framework for the evaluation of patient engagement in research in Canada, including:

1) a logic model (national consensus meeting)
2) a set of core evaluation indicators (Delphi process) and
3) recommendations on best practices and approaches for evaluation with seldom-heard populations (co-led expert working groups on equity).

The idea is to offer enough supporting theory and guidance for research organizations and partners to build their own evaluation in a way that:

1) aligns with principles of patient-oriented research;
2) is adaptable to specific contexts of patient and public engagement (settings, populations, type of research, domain of research, etc.), and
3) allows for mutual learning and understanding across projects and organizations by defining core evaluation standards applicable across Canada.