Participant, Renal Voices Matter – Listening Workshop

Are you receiving kidney or dialysis care in Island Health’s Renal Program? Do you want to help us improve care delivery and patient experience in renal services? Come join us for the Listening Workshop!

Open to: Patient partners in the Island Health region

Lead Organization or Department

Island Health Renal Services

Aim

The goal of this workshop is to listen to the experiences of patients, family caregivers and kidney care professionals to identify concrete steps forward to improve aspects of care (symptom management, access to the renal team, and patient goal-setting) that matter most to those living with chronic kidney disease. The composition of the focus group is guided by the desire to learn and to share perspectives and experiences from across a diverse population and broad demographic balance.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of consult on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will listen to and acknowledge your ideas and concerns, and provide feedback on how your input affected the decision.

Eligibility

Open to patient partners on Vancouver Island with

• Experience (personal or family) receiving care in a kidney care clinic, hemodialysis unit, peritoneal dialysis or home dialysis or a family caregiver of someone receiving kidney care in Island Health’s Renal Program
• Diverse perspectives, which may include but are not limited to geography/neighbourhood, culture, ethnic or national origin, marital status, age, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, income variety, education, work experience, genetic characteristics, family status, disability, and/or experiences with health challenges or health care
• Comfortable sharing experiences and working in a group setting

Please note:

• This opportunity is not open to patient partners who are currently employed by Island Health
• The placement process for this opportunity may include an informal interview between the volunteer and the health care partner.

Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Ashley Clark directly to see if accommodations may be possible.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 10
• Date/time: Friday, September 13, from 9:00am – 2:30pm (light lunch will be provided)
• Location: Victoria, BC
• Commitment: One-time

Reimbursement

Island Health will reimburse travel and accommodation (for out-of-town participants) as well as transportation and parking expenses for those local to Victoria. Lunch will be served at the workshop. The reimbursement process will take 4-6 weeks. Participants may contact Island Health staff if further assistance is required.

Background

Through regional patient experience initiatives, we have found that improvements to the Renal Program could be achieved through:

• More effective symptom management
• Access to the renal team, and
• Goal-setting with patients

Island Health’s Renal Program and BC Renal are jointly organizing this workshop to have in-depth discussions about these topics, and others, with patients in various kidney care settings. This listening workshop will include patients, family caregivers, and kidney care professionals from Island Health Renal Program.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Ashley Clark
Engagement Leader, Patient & Public Engagement | Vancouver Island
250.812.8908
aclark@bcpsqc.ca