The Patient Engagement Studio’s (PES) purpose is to revolutionize science so that it serves the patient.
This purpose has led to patient-centered projects that offer real solutions. Recent patient panels focused on diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer patients from urban and rural backgrounds. The Virtual Patient Engagement Studio is a project that uses technology to engage hard-to-reach patients and help improve the lives of more community members.
The studio offers an array of patient engagement services that support researchers and businesses in development of their research studies, health products and health services.
PES is led by a core team of patients, scientific experts and a director. The studio
is supported by an engagement coordinator who handles daily operations of managing
studio operations in concert with the director.
PES is a resource for all within the Academic Health Sciences Center that conducts research, continuous quality improvement and innovation that impacts patients and other stakeholders within the health system. The studio provides a structured opportunity for patients, community stakeholders, physicians and academic researchers to collaborate in planning, conducting and disseminating results of research projects and health system innovations.
The studio is committed to community impact by developing a strategy for inclusion of patients and community members that will inform future research projects, in part through guidance from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
Often patient engagement activities are confused with focus group activities. They are not the same. The below graph explains the differences.
Difference Between PES and Focus Groups
| Components | Patient Engagement Studio | Focus Group |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Meaningful inclusion of patients and other stakeholders in all stages of the research process from planning the study to dissemination of results. | Answer a specific research question or provide qualitative data to researcher team. |
| Participants |
Patient Experts – members of the community who have had significant interaction with the health care system either as a patient or caregiver OR who represent a specific population of interest (example: healthy teenagers) who have been trained in communication, research methods, and team building. Other stakeholders such as clinicians, students and community groups. |
Research subjects who complete an informed consent document to be included in the research study. |
| IRB required? | No | Yes |
| Facilitator | Neutral member of the PES team who is not affiliated with the research project. | Research team member who will use an IRB approved script. |
| Compensation | Consulting fee to Patient Experts. | Participant incentive. |