Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit

02/06/2025

📢 Important Update 📢
We are leaving X and Facebook as of Feb. 10.
Stay connected to the latest events, training and opportunities in patient-oriented research in the Maritimes:
On LinkedIn: ➡️ http://bit.ly/3X9hDkz
Subscribe to our email updates ➡️ http://bit.ly/3LWDtld
For patient engagement opportunities sent to your inbox ➡️ https://mssu.ca/get-involved/opportunities/

02/05/2025

"I'm grateful to have been a part of the Health Data Nova Scotia Data Access Committee team, as it was a great learning experience … giving me new insight on how the use of data is addressed in medical research." MSSU Patient/Public Partner Ben McVicker

Read more about Ben's experience and how he helped ensure research isn't just about data, but about real people's lives:

https://mssu.ca/get-involved/opportunities/hdns-data-access-committee/

01/31/2025

Did you know your pharmacist can assess and prescribe for certain common conditions (e.g., acid reflux, allergies)?

An MSSU project found while pharmacist prescribing has become more common in Nova Scotia, more support is needed to make it work better. Our research, co-designed with Patient/Public Partners highlights key actions to help pharmacists continue providing safe, effective care for patients like you.
Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hamiuj
Canadian Pharmacists Association Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia

01/31/2025

Are you a former ICU patient, family member, caregiver or healthcare provider?

Researchers need your input to prioritize critical care research in Canada. They are asking children, young people, their families and friends, and healthcare professionals from across Canada to tell them what questions they would like research to answer about:

➡️Admission to a pediatric or adult ICU;
➡️Receiving care (e.g., medicines and treatments) in a pediatric or adult ICU;
➡️Outcomes after an ICU stay (e.g., how patients and families feel mentally, physically, and emotionally after they are discharged from a pediatric or adult ICU)

If you think you can help, take the survey here: https://survey.ucalgary.ca/jfe/form/SV_4HqBhU5za5eJaT4

01/27/2025

OPPORTUNITÉ DE FINANCEMENT : Les candidatures sont ouvertes pour notre programme de soutien aux stagiaires 2025-2026. Depuis 2014, nous avons investi plus de 3 millions de dollars pour soutenir la prochaine génération de chercheur(-euse)s axé(e)s sur les patients en Nouvelle-Écosse et au Nouveau-Brunswick. Nous offrons aux stagiaires la possibilité d’acquérir des compétences dans le domaine de l’engagement des patients.
Pour en savoir plus : https://mssu.ca/get-involved/competition-open/

01/27/2025

Funding Opportunity: Applications are open for our 2025-2026 Trainee Support Program.
Since 2014, we have invested more than $3 million dollars to support the next generation of patient-oriented researchers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
We provide trainees opportunities to build skills in meaningful patient engagement.

Learn more: https://mssu.ca/get-involved/competition-open/

01/17/2025

Is healthcare use different when you transition from children's care to adult care?

A new study is looking at how young people with health conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, cystic fibrosis and diabetes use healthcare services before and after they transition from pediatric (child-focused) care to adult care.

Sound like you or someone you know? Join the research team as a patient partner to identify ways to improve this care experience.

Learn more:

Do you, or someone you know, have experience transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare services for a chronic condition?

01/08/2025

Are you a new mom?
If you have a baby 6-12 months old, you could be eligible to participate in a research study on a mindfulness-based program for new mothers to improve eating habits for both moms and their babies. As a committee member, you’ll help ensure the program reflects the real challenges postpartum mothers face. Learn more:

Moms with a baby 6-12 months old needed for an advisory group on mindfulness and eating study in New Brunswick.

01/06/2025

Curious about patient-oriented research?

Our patient-oriented research training is co-facilitated by a patient partner who shares valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities in bringing people with lived experience into the research process. Our practicum builds on the CIHR-IMHA e-learning modules on Patient Engagement in Research.

Learn more:

A practical workshop on Patient-Oriented Research (POR) and patient engagement in the Maritimes.

01/02/2025

What’s on your New Year’s Resolution? Try co-designing a research project. Learn more about how patients and the public can use their lived experience in health research. 👉️www.mssu.ca

12/30/2024

Top Story of 2024: Paving the Way for Easier FASD Referrals for Youth 🚸

Meet William, a Patient/Public Partner using his lived experience of an FASD diagnosis to drive meaningful change in a research study.

Discover how his insights are shaping the path to faster, easier referrals for youth in need.

📖 Read the full story: https://mssu.ca/fasd-diagnosis-project/

With support from the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit, a team of Moncton researchers from Vitalité Health Network and the Université de Moncton are leading a study looking at New Brunswick youth’s experiences in the health care system before being referred to the NB FASD Centre of Excellence.

12/27/2024

Patient partners bring so much more than lived experience to research teams—they bring skills, creativity, and fresh perspectives. 💡

In a study evaluating a new care model for rural breast surgery patients, patient partners raised awareness of challenges patients face post- breast surgery and helped secure the support needed to expand the program across the province. Their persistence made a real difference.

Learn more in our Report to Community: https://bit.ly/4goSA4n