The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has set up a network of patients and caregivers who will work with the School's researchers and educators to inform, co-create, and deliver medical research and education programmes.
Called OPEN Voices, this network is the first of its kind among medical schools in Singapore. It is part of a wider effort by NTU LKCMedicine to embed patient and public involvement in medical research and education in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
Such a network will ensure that LKCMedicine's research tackles challenges faced by patients and optimises research through incorporating the patient perspective in key activities, including the development of research priorities, and designing and implementing research studies and clinical trials.
It will also strengthen the School's mission to nurture a new generation of effective doctors who are also empathetic communicators.
To date, there are 40 patient partners in OPEN Voices from all walks of life, ages and ethnicities. These patient partners live with a variety of health conditions, from cancer and diabetes to eczema and dementia. Caregivers and healthy individuals are also represented in the network.
Professor Joseph Sung, NTU Senior Vice President (Health & Life Sciences) and Dean, LKCMedicine, said: "The approach of patient and public involvement in research is well-established in countries like the UK and Canada but remains relatively new in Asia. By taking the lead as the first medical school in Singapore to set up OPEN Voices and involve patient and members of the public as partners in medical research and education, NTU LKCMedicine hopes to encourage the growth of patient engagement in Singapore and Asia and contribute to the advancement of healthcare that puts patients at the centre."
Associate Professor Sanjay Chotirmall, Vice-Dean of Research, NTU LKCMedicine, added: "Researchers and clinicians often approach issues in healthcare from a specialised and expert point of view, and hence may overlook certain aspects that matter to patients, caregivers, and other members of the public. Working with patient partners from OPEN Voices will help researchers ground the direction of their research in real-world experiences, thus improving the overall relevance, impact and application of research findings."
These efforts to integrate patient and public voices into research and education will be led by LKCMedicine's Office of Patient Engagement (OPEN).
OPEN is helmed by a team with diverse experience and expertise in patient and public involvement in medical research and education.
The team will develop systemic approaches to empower the School's researchers and educators to involve patients and the public in research and education projects. In addition, OPEN will support its patient partners with training opportunities on research ethics, research communication, and communicating the patient perspective.
The goal is for patient partners in OPEN Voices to be involved in the School's medical research and education, co-authoring and co-presenting with researchers on journal articles and at conferences, and be actively involved as co-educators during undergraduate and PhD teaching at LKCMedicine.
