Patient partnership in Australia: Such an inspiring model!

Australians can be proud because their country was elected the most beautiful country in the world during a gala event in Canberra on September 6th, 2018. More than 100 countries and nations participated in this prestigious competition. This prize has also seen the Australian people win the title of the most lovable people on the planet. Australia is a country of culture, art, tourism and science that I was fortunate to discover during my exploratory trip to the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, which is part of the University of Macquarie, one of Australia's iconic universities located in Sydney.   Indeed, this trip to Australia is part of my Ph.D research project on which my director Dr. Marie-Pascale Pomey and I are currently working, and which focuses on the evaluation of patient engagement programs. I was invited by Dr. Jeffrey Braithwaite, Professor, Health Services and Systems Researcher, Writer and Founding Director of the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University. The purpose of this visit was to first discover the human framework of the institute and familiarize myself with the research team and, finally, prepare the ground for my next long research stay in winter 2019.   On this occasion, I was very honored to present the research components of our project at a symposium organized at the Institute, to which professors from Macquarie University, PhD and postdoctoral candidates doctorate, but also members of the Patient Partners Committee of the Faculty of Medicine and the Macquarie University Hospital Center have participated. At this same event, it was essential for me to expose Canada's health care system in general and, more specifically, the context of the evolution of Québec's health care system.   Following the presentations of the various stakeholders of the symposium, an open and lively discussion took place, where the participants showed a lot of interest in understanding the issues and challenges of the two systems and comparing the policy of patient engagement pursued in Canada to that adopted in Australia. Many ideas and perspectives were expressed by the participants on this subject. Although the latter clearly identified the differences as well as the political and organizational issues of the health systems of the two countries, the purpose of this discussion was not to contest or decide in favor of a policy or a model in particular. On the contrary, the discussion was very constructive, several concepts were shared by the interveners. At the end of this conference, participants supported the idea that, there is a need to commit and innovate even more in both models, and to make more effort to develop a program more dynamic, robust that contribute to improving the performance of health systems in both countries.   A guided tour at Sydney University Hospital, specifically in the emergency department, marked the end of my stay. In fact, several positive points caught my attention during this exploratory visit, but that of emergencies particularly marked me. In fact, the level of commitment and investment of the Patient Partner Committee in this facility is exceptional. The committee works hard and tirelessly, not only to improve the level of clinical or organizational care, but it actively contributes to improving even the smallest details of their emergencies. Many of the initiatives undertaken by this committee include, for example, art paintings and beautiful sculptures produced by proposed Australian artists, chosen and installed by the Patient Partner Committee in the corridors, waiting rooms and walls of the emergency room. According to the members of the Patient Partners Committee, such an environment soothes tension, relaxes patients and reduces the stress and fatigue of caregivers. Indeed, they want to find solutions and ways to combat the fatigue of medical staff! I, therefore, felt that in Australia we have another definition of the patient partner that is more developed and different from the one we are used to in Canada. For example, I have been informed that the patient partner is not only involved within patients side but also with the medical team and all health professionals.   In conclusion, I would like to encourage the development and strengthening of closer ties with these great people because they are very enthusiastic to collaborate with our research team and eventually build a formal partnership between the research team of the Macquarie University Institute of Health Innovation and the Research Center of the Montreal University Hospital Center (CRCHUM). Note that Dr. Marie-Pascale Pomey and Dr. Jeffrey Braithwaite collaborated together and have several joint publications, including a book soon to be published. We aspire to create a real partnership to promote together our research interests and continue to innovate in patient engagement, which is a real track for progress in the health system.   Khayreddine Bouabida, Ing, MSc, MSc, Ph.D.(c)  

This content has been updated on 13 August 2020 at 9 h 09 min.

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