Patients as Partners in Research: It's the Right Thing to Do
Synopsis
The health research landscape is changing, and it is time for the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) community to foster authentic opportunities for patient engagement in musculoskeletal research and practice. Although authentic engagement has challenges, the benefits are well worth the investment of time and energy to overcome these challenges and improve the quality of physical therapy research. In this editorial, the authors outline 3 steps JOSPT is taking to promote and support patient partnership in musculoskeletal research.
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2019;49(9):623-626. doi:10.2519/jospt.2019.0106
The Key Point
“It is our lives that are at stake, after all. Shouldn’t we have a say? It is we who have to live with these conditions and experiences for which we are seeking care. We seek care because we cannot figure it out on our own. We need your expertise, your knowledge of the research, your clinical expertise. We also need for you to bring your own humanity to the table. To see us as fellow humans who are trying to make sense of things and find a way forward. That we will not be in your care forever. That even while we are in your care, we are largely living with these experiences and conditions on our own. You are in the best position to help us find that way forward with us. It can only be discovered together.”
—Joletta Belton
Get to the paper here