Engaging Patients and Families in Research
In keeping with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, our team would like to involve parents, children, and youth in our research program. We are seeking parents and families who may be interested in informing our research directions; consulting and providing feedback on aspects of a research study; getting involved in the planning, implementation, or knowledge translation aspects of a research study; or collaborating on all aspects of research, from conception to disseminating study findings to key stakeholders.
We value your input and would like you to partner with us to address research priorities of families and to hopefully make a difference to the lives of children and families affected by DCD.
We recognize that family life is busy, so we have 4 levels of engagement to ensure your voice is heard within the time commitment you are able to give. (Note that engagement in research is not the same as participating in a study; please see our Participate page to learn about studies for which we are recruiting participants.)
Choose Your Level of Engagement
Level 1 Estimated time commitment: One meeting, 1–2 hours
- Provide input into Zwicker Lab research directions related to developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
- Determine relevance of proposed research ideas
Level 2 Estimated time commitment: Two or three meetings, 1–2 hours each
- Provide feedback & advice on DCD research conducted by the Zwicker Lab; prioritize research questions
- Define & assess the relevance of outcomes from a parent/child/youth perspective
- Advise on vocabulary used in recruitment & study material; identify how results relate to lived experience of those with DCD
Level 3 Estimated time commitment: Up to six meetings per year, 1–2 hours each
- Work with Dr. Zwicker & her team on 1–2 aspects of a DCD study: Planning, assisting with recruitment & data collection, helping with data analysis, or disseminating results
- Review drafts of grant applications & provide feedback; provide letter of support for grant applications
- Join an advisory committee to provide direction & feedback on DCD research conducted by Dr. Zwicker & her team
Level 4 Estimated time commitment: 1–3 years, monthly or bi-monthly meetings
- Act as co-investigator with Dr. Zwicker & her team in all aspects of a DCD study: planning, assisting with recruitment of participants & data collection, helping with data analysis & interpretation, & disseminating results
- Contribute to funding application and/or ethics application for DCD research project
Please click the button above to join our team! Indicate your preferred level of engagement and which research activities most interest you.
References
Our Levels of Patient and Family Engagement have been informed by the following sources:
- CHILD-BRIGHT Network
- International Association for Public Participation
- Amirav et al. (2017). Pediatrics.
- Ontario Brain Institute (n.d.). Ways community members can participate in the stages of research.