Patient Circles

Patient Circles are a one-year governance commitment that provides patient partner leadership and advisory input to guide DAC’s work.

Patient Circles shape DAC’s priorities and ensure accountability to those most impacted by diabetes through lived, loved, learned, and laboured experiences 

Through the Patient Circles, DAC aims to:  

• Ground its strategy, programs, and communications in lived and loved realities 
• Ensure patient partnership is embedded across all levels of the network 
• Co-design and influence DAC’s priorities, processes, and systems 
• Build and support leadership within the diabetes community 
• Provide clear and meaningful engagement opportunities 

Lived and Loved Experience as Foundational Expertise: Membership is grounded in lived experience with diabetes or supporting a loved one with diabetes. Learned and laboured experience are valued, but do not replace this foundation. 

Co-Design and Shared Influence: Patient Circles help shape DAC’s decisions, priorities, and systems.  

Governance-Level Engagement: Circles operate at the level of strategy, direction-setting, and system design, not project-by-project consultation.  

Reciprocity and Compensation: All contributions are recognized and compensated. 

Equity and Inclusion: Intentional representation across identities, geographies, and communities. 

Accessibility and Flexibility: Participation is designed to be accessible and adaptable. 

Relational Approach: Trust, continuity, and community-building are central. 

The Patient Circles are structured in three separate cohorts: 

Collective Patient Circle (10-15 members) This Circle focuses on how diabetes is shaped by systems, identity, and inequities, including the effects of policy, stigma, access, and social conditions on lived experience. 

Francophone & Immigrant Patient Circle (6-8 members)  
This Circle focuses on the realities and priorities of French-speaking communities across Canada. Recruitment has included direct outreach and engagement with more than 10 Quebec-based and Francophone organizations, led by Laurie Lépine. 

The Indigenous Patient Advisory Circle (6-8 members)  
Developed in partnership with and led by the Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle, this cohort provides insights into Indigenous diabetes care needs and is guided by principles of self-determination. 

Each Patient Circle group includes: 

Two Co-Chairs 

• One youth co-chair (under 30) 
• One co-chair with additional leadership experience

The Co-chair’s responsibilities include: 

• Co-lead meetings  
• Foster inclusive dialogue  
• Facilitate meeting agendas and identify key priorities 
• Represent Circle perspectives within DAC 
• Support Circle members  

All members must: 

• Have lived or loved experience of diabetes 
• OR learned and/or laboured experience
• Reflect diversity across geography, identity, and diabetes experience 
• Contribute insights grounded in lived or loved experience 
• Engage in governance-level discussions and co-design 
• Provide feedback on DAC priorities, systems, and outputs 
• Participate collaboratively and respectfully 

Patient Circles require a one-year commitment and typically meet 6–8 times per year. Each meeting is about 1.5 to 2 hours, with one in-person meeting annually when possible. 

Participation in Patient Circles is not volunteer work. Members are compensated according to DAC patient partner rates, and co-chairs receive additional compensation at the chair rate for their leadership responsibilities.