Recruit Patient Partners

Partnering with Patient Voices for Better Research

At Diabetes Action Canada, we believe that research is most impactful when it includes real patient experiences. Our Patient Partner Recruitment Form connects researchers and organizations with individuals who bring direct, lived and loved knowledge of diabetes. Working with patient partners strengthens projects, provides unique insights, and drives meaningful change in diabetes care. This structured process has been developed with patient partners to ensure they are fully supported throughout the engagement process.

Guidelines for Submitting Your Request

DAC Membership Requirement: Only DAC members can submit requests. If you’re not yet a member, please complete the Join Our Network form before submitting this form.
Submission Timing: Submit your request at least 4 weeks before your engagement deadline. This allows enough time for review, recruitment, and support. We may be unable to support requests submitted too close to the deadline.
Inclusive Recruitment: We do not recruit single representatives of any identity for opportunities. Each patient partner is paired with another to ensure a supportive environment and prevent tokenization.
Language Requirement: All project descriptions must be written in lay language. To support you in creating accessible descriptions, please use the prompts below in ChatGPT or similar tools:

Lay Language Support Prompts

1. Lay Summary: “Explain this project in one to two sentences using simple, everyday language. Focus on what the project is about and why it matters to people living with diabetes.”

1. Lay Title: “Write a title that anyone can understand without needing technical knowledge.”

1. Project Importance: “Describe why this project is important and how it will help people with diabetes, using language that anyone could understand.”

See and Example (Click to view a sample completed invitation form)

Project Title: Exploring the Mental Health Impact of Time in Range: How CGMs Shape Life with Diabetes

About This Project: This project is part of the Research to Action Fellowship at Diabetes Action Canada, where patient partners lead co-design sessions to create knowledge products that support people with diabetes. This is one of four co-design sessions organized by patient partners as part of their fellowship projects. The other topics will cover obesity and type 1 diabetes, BIPOC community diabetes screening and diagnosis, and Indigenous diabetes self-advocacy in medical settings. Invitations for these sessions will be sent out in the coming days.

The aim of this project is to support the mental health of people living with diabetes who use continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). We are gathering insights from patient partners to develop practical resources, starting with this co-design session, which will contribute to an infographic aimed at improving the mental health and well-being of adults using CGMs.

What We Are Doing and Why It Matters:
We are hosting a co-design session with adults living with diabetes to explore how continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and time in range (TiR) affect their mental health. We want to hear your stories—how has TiR helped your mental health? What challenges have you faced, and what strategies have you developed to protect your mental well-being? Your feedback will help shape a practical, easy-to-understand infographic that will offer tips, strategies, and stories to help others protect their mental health.

The infographic will be co-published with diaTribe and is designed to empower, inform, and support people with diabetes. You will also have the opportunity to review the infographic before it is finalized and be among the first to receive it before it goes live to the public.

How You Can Get Involved:
We are inviting patient partners to participate in our focus group, led in part by DAC Fellows Person X and Person Y. During this session, you will share your experiences with CGMs and the impact they’ve had on your mental health, as well as strategies or resources you’ve found helpful. Your input will directly influence the development of new resources for adults living with diabetes.

To express your interest in this opportunity, please reply directly to this email and tell us how long you have been using a CGM, where you are located, and what type of diabetes you live with. Feel free to share anything else you think is relevant. This information will help us form a representative group. If you do not hear back by Sunday, September 7th, it means you were not selected for this opportunity.

Who Can Join:
We are looking for adults (aged 18-64) living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who are on insulin and have experience with continuous glucose monitors, regardless of how long you’ve been using a CGM.

Important Disclaimer:
This project seeks to understand your experiences and gather insights that will be used to develop supportive resources. We ensure that participants will not be placed in situations where they are the sole representative of a particular identity or experience, maintaining a supportive and inclusive environment for everyone.

How Many People Are We Looking For? We are looking for 10-12 participants to join our focus group.

How Much Time It Will Take: The focus group will take place on Tuesday, September 10, from 6-8 PM EST. It will be a one-time involvement lasting about 120 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes of preparation time.

What You Will Receive (Compensation): You will be compensated at Diabetes Action Canada (DAC) rates for your time, with a total of 2 hours for the focus group and 30 minutes of prep time.

Language for Communication:The focus group will be conducted in English, but participants are welcome to communicate in either English or French. We will provide written materials in English, and French-speaking participants can share their experiences in the session in French if needed.

Support and Accessibility: We will provide technical support for the virtual meeting, including live transcription via Zoom. If you require any accessibility accommodations, such as live transcription or other assistance, please let us know in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate within our limited budget. Materials will also be sent in advance and summarized after the session.