Patient Partner, Improving Prostate Surgery Outcomes Research Project

Understanding how to improve the quality of life for prostate patients, post-surgery, will reduce emergency room visits and other forms of treatment. Researchers at Royal Columbian Hospital are seeking two patient partners with experience in prostate health to inform their research on how to enhance the future quality of life for all prostate patients.

Open to: Patient partners in Fraser Health Communities

Lead Organization or Department

Fraser Health, Royal Columbian Hospital

Aim

To assess the effect of tranexamic acid on decreasing emergency department visits of patients with a complaint of blood in the urine that requires continuous bladder irrigation. Patients partners will offer insight into their prostate care experience and assist with research design, outcome development and spreading project results once gathered.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility

Open to patient partners with experience in:

• Health issues such as prostate, bladder cancer, continuous bladder irrigation, blood in urine, blood clot retention
• Telling their story

If you have a strong interest in this work but have not yet completed a PVN orientation and volunteer agreement, are unsure if your experience is a good fit or feel another format of engagement would work better with your availability, please contact the engagement leader directly.

Logistics

• Vacancies: 2
• Date/time: To be determined with patient partners
• Location: Via telephone and in-person
• Commitment: Once a month, 2-3 hours, for up to six months

Reimbursement

Out of pocket expenses (mileage, transit fares, parking) will be reimbursed. In addition, compensation will be discussed with the patient partner on an individual basis.

Background

Patients recovering from prostate surgery often present to the emergency department with blood in their urine and clot retention rendering them unable to go to the bathroom satisfactory. Currently, the standard of care is to insert a special catheter into the bladder to instill and drain large amounts of irrigation fluid to clear the clots. This procedure is painful, very invasive and often lasts several days. We're looking at introducing the medication tranexamic acid (TXA) into the procedure in order to hopefully decrease the burden of this procedure on both the patient and the health care system.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Rableen Nagra, MA
Patient Engagement Specialist, Fraser Centre – BC Support Unit
Phone: 604-587-4600 ext. 765870
Email: rableen.nagra@fraserhealth.ca