SPHERE’s Qualitative Research and Patient Engagement Team operates at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, collaborating with a broad network of partners that includes academic investigators, patients and patient groups, health system leaders, government agencies, industry, and community organizations.
Our work spans a diverse portfolio, including community-based participatory research, health technology assessment, program evaluation, clinical trials, health system transformation, and equity-driven patient and public engagement initiatives.
Our work has generated influential, policy-relevant evidence, including publications in leading peer-reviewed journals such as The Lancet, as well as reports that have directly informed government-adopted health technology coverage decisions. Through strong cross-sector partnerships, a rigorous commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and a focus on translating research into practice, our team supports the advancement of more equitable, effective, and sustainable healthcare systems.
Our services span the full research lifecycle, from study design and execution to knowledge translation. We work closely with sponsors and investigators to integrate rigorous qualitative and patient engagement approaches across a wide range of study types, including community-based participatory research, mixed methods studies and clinical trials.
Our Services Include:
Research Design
Design and implementation of rigorous qualitative and mixed methods studies, including embedded qualitative components within clinical trials. We support methodologically sound, theoretically informed approaches aligned with study objectives and with intentional integration of patient and community engagement and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles across the research lifecycle.
Research Development
End-to-end research development support, including competitive grant applications (e.g., CIHR, SPOR, SSHRC), protocol development, Research Ethics Board (REB) submissions, and the design of effective knowledge translation and mobilization strategies.
Qualitative Methods
Comprehensive qualitative data generation using methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, and arts-based approaches. Our team works with patients, caregivers, healthcare providers and stakeholders across standalone qualitative studies, mixed methods research, and clinical trials.
Patient and Public Engagement:
Design and delivery of evidence-informed engagement strategies, including patient partnerships, advisory councils, and co-design processes. As a SPOR support unit, we support meaningful engagement across all phases of research, from study design through knowledge translation.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
Integration of EDI principles to support inclusive study design, improve recruitment and retention, and enhance the relevance and applicability of findings across diverse populations and contexts.
Arts-Based Research and Knowledge Translation
Use of creative, arts-informed methods (e.g., photography, digital storytelling, visual exhibits) to communicate research findings in accessible and impactful ways, supporting public engagement and policy uptake.
Health System Innovation and Transformation
Co-design of tools and processes to support equity-driven health system planning, decision-making, and policy development, informed by governance theory, design thinking, and social innovation.
