Prior Patients' Den events
The 2024 Patients' Den was held on Oct. 8 from 5:30 - 9 p.m. at the Lily Lake Pavilion in Saint John, NB.
The Patients’ Den is an innovative event styled in the spirit of the popular television series Shark Tank and Dragons’ Den. In the two series, entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas in an interactive and public forum to secure financial support from a panel of venture capitalists.
At the Patients’ Den event, a group of patient advisors acts as venture capitalists, evaluating research proposals and granting awards during a public evening session. Proposals undergo screening for basic eligibility, scientific merit, and feasibility by a panel comprising methodology experts and patient advisors.
Finalists selected from the screening process were invited to present their proposals to the patient advisory panel during a public forum. Each researcher or team was allotted time to present their project to the five-member patient advisory panel.
The patient advisory panel evaluated each study based on its potential impact on the healthcare system. Top research projects deemed impactful were awarded grants, with the awards presented on the same night as the event.
Contact CRIC@unb.ca for additional details.
Patient engagement (PE) involves the meaningful collaboration between health researchers and patients/families (patient partners) who have diverse, first-hand experiences with the healthcare system. PE is used across Canada by care providers, decision-makers, patient partners and health researchers.
Applying PE throughout all phases of research helps research teams address the issues that are most important to the individuals directly affected by the outcomes of health research. Patient partners can be involved throughout all phases of the research process, including:
One avenue for PE is to assist in deciding how research funds should be allocated, based on the priorities set by patients. Securing funding is an important first step for any research project and deciding which projects get funded shapes the direction of future research.
An event like the Patients’ Den, where patient partners become key decision-makers in funding allocation, represents a grass-roots effort in PE.
At the 2024 event, our judge's panel of patient partners allocated a grand total of $15,000 to support the winning research projects.
There were two $2,500 prizes available for trainee researchers, and two $5,000 prizes for early career researchers.
Each of the prizes will support research that aims to improve the New Brunswick healthcare services that matter most to patients, caregivers and the community at large.
