Patients as Partners
Last updated on February 23, 2026
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The Program
The Patients as Partners Initiative was founded on the principle of, “nothing about me, without me.” This continues to be our aim: to ensure the patient, family and caregiver voice is incorporated at all levels of the health-care system.
The work of Patients as Partners is focused on three main areas:
Person- and Family-Centred Health Care
We collaborate with a range of stakeholders and work to provide leadership, tools and resources that help integrate patients’ and families’ voices, choices and representation in health-care system decision making.
Chronic Disease Self-Management
We fund and help coordinate a range of free, publicly available self-management programs, training and education sessions, peer supports, and resources for patients, families and caregivers.
Engagement
We help build engagement capacity by providing training to health sector staff, leading engagement sessions to support Ministry priorities, and providing free engagement tools and resources on our website.
Patients as Partners initiative in 2023/24 reached over 40,000 individuals through supported events and services. Read more results in the Patients as Partners Collective Reach infographic
Engagement Tools and Resources
Patient, Family, Caregiver and Public Engagement Framework
Patient, Family, Caregiver and Public Engagement Framework 2018 (PDF, 1.4MB)
This document helps guide patient, family, caregiver, and public engagement in British Columbia. The Framework defines the three categories of engagement (Individual Care, Community Engagement and System Redesign) and provides information about the spectrum of engagement, why engagement should be carried out, principles of engagement, and best practices for engagement.
Engagement Planning Guide
Engagement Planning Guide (PDF, 2.3MB)
The Planning Guide provides a step-by-step approach to the planning, design, management, reporting and evaluation of community or system level engagement activities. Each stage and associated steps are outlined in the document with supporting examples with blank templates provided in the appendices.
Engagement Planning Summary (PDF, 876KB)
This Summary acts as a quick reference for the steps involved in engagement planning.
Example Engagement Forms: Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Consent and Release
The Patients as Partners initiative has developed three forms that are used when leading a patient and public engagement session. The need for each form will vary depending on the requirements of each engagement. These forms are examples only and are not intended for external use.
The Consent and Release (Adult) (PDF, 62KB) and Consent and Release (Minor) (PDF, 63KB) are used to obtain participant consent to collect data, photographs, video and information during events that can be used for reporting after the engagement.
The Confidentiality Acknowledgment (PDF, 58KB) (is an agreement between two parties for information to be kept confidential.
The Conflict of Interest Statement (PDF, 101KB) is used to identify where participants may have a conflict of interest that could inappropriately influence (bias) their actions.
Tip Sheets for Engaging Different Populations
The tip sheets provide guidance and support to health-care organizations in their patient, family and community engagement activities.
- Primary Care (PDF, 251KB)
- Mental Health and Substance Use (PDF, 241KB)
- Seniors with Complex Medical Conditions (PDF, 251KB)
- Surgery (PDF, 275KB)
- Rural and Remote (PDF, 241KB)
- Intercultural Communities (PDF, 249KB)
- Family Caregivers (PDF, 228KB)
- Tips for Writing Policy Related to Person- and Family-Centred Care (PDF, 416KB)
Stories of Engagement
These stories provide a synopsis of different engagements carried out by Health Authorities, and other partners addressing a specific topic and subject area. Each of the stories briefly explains the type of engagement, the topic and subject matter and the outcome of the engagement.
- Trans Care Program for British Columbians Led by Trans British Columbians (PDF, 344KB)
- Ministry of Health’s Primary Care Home Engagement (PDF, 373KB)
- Provincial Pain Summit 2017 (PDF, 414KB)
- Northern Health’s Person- and Family-Centred Care Strategy Engagement (PDF, 318KB)
- Royal Columbian Hospital Designed by Patients and Family (PDF, 422KB)
- Mount Waddington Health Network (PDF, 358KB)
- Royal Jubilee Hospital Engagement (PDF, 367KB)
- Future of Seniors' Care Co-Designed by Seniors (PDF, 363KB)
- Keeping Seniors Well Community Forums (PDF, 313KB)
Patients as Partners – Community Partners
The Ministry of Health provides funding for community partners to offer telephone supports, downloadable resources, training program, forums, workshops and other resources. All resources and events provided by community partners are free and open to the public. Please register in advance for an event with the organizer through the links provided.
- University of Victoria Self-Management: Visit www.selfmanagementbc.ca or contact E-Mail: selfmgmt@uvic.ca to register for a training program, coaching, or other services. Offerings include informational mailouts, online and in-person evidence-based programs, and telephone-based health coaching. Some programs are available in Chinese, Punjabi languages and a program designed by and for Indigenous participants.
- Family Caregivers of BC: is a provincial not-for-profit society dedicated 100% to supporting unpaid family and friend caregivers and promoting the importance of the family caregiver role and its contribution to the health care system. Visit their website at www.familycaregiversbc.ca to access their caregiver resource centre, find services and educational events, or sign up for a peer-led support group. If you need information and referral to community resources, call their toll-free Caregiver Support Line at 1-877-520-3267.
- University of British Columbia InterCultural Online Health Newtork (iCON): is a community-driven health promotion initiative that supports multicultural communities, patients and caregivers across BC to optimize chronic disease prevention and self-management. Connect with iCON to register for upcoming events or access chronic disease management and health educational materials at https://southasian.iconproject.org/ or https://chinese.iconproject.org/ for translated and culturally tailored information. English materials are available at www.iconproject.org.
- Pain BC: is a collaborative non-profit organization comprised of people in pain, clinicians, researchers, and other supporters. If you or a family member is experiencing pain that lasts longer than 3 months, explore information and services on their Website: www.painbc.ca. Find resources, educational opportunities, sign up for a peer-support and wellness group, or self-management program. The toll-free Pain Support Line 1-844-880-PAIN (7246) provides a safe space for people to find supports and resources that can help with managing pain.
- Centre for Collaboration, Motivation and Innovation (CCMI): is a BC-based not-for-profit organization that helps individuals and organizations create partnerships that improve health and well-being. Visit their Website: centrecmi.ca to find tools and resources that can support your health and well-being.
Participant Evaluation
In 2018-19, participants in Patients as Partners events and services reported:
To learn more, see the Collective Reach Infographic 2018-19 (PDF, 455KB) and the Collective Impact Summary 2018-19 (PDF, 649KB).
Contact information
PatientsasPartners@gov.bc.ca
The International Association of Public Participation honoured Patients as Partners with the 2016 Canadian Organization of the Year Award for its leading practices in public and patient engagement.