Patient Engagement and Research Link (PEARL)

Welcome to PEARL!

PEARL is a platform that brings patients and health research teams together to connect and collaborate on topics they care about. PEARL makes it easier for patients and researchers to find each other and work together in patient-oriented research.

Explore PEARL to find opportunities that match your passion, share your ideas and learn more about patient-oriented research here in Saskatchewan and across Canada!

Research projects in Saskatchewan

When the right combination of patients, health-care practitioners and decision makers work together on research teams, they often achieve better results. Patient involvement has been shown to guide research to more relevant questions and improve data collection methods and interpretation. Health-care practitioners and decision makers on patient-oriented research teams help guide the research on a practical, sustainable path and their involvement speeds up the process of translating new knowledge into policy and practice.

PEARL provides patients - who are passionate about improving our healthcare systems - with an opportunity to volunteer* on research teams aiming to do just that! Researchers who wish to collaborate with patients on health research projects can post engagement opportunities on PEARL. Patients can review the opportunities and volunteer for the ones that match their interests and life experiences. PEARL brings patients and researchers together to facilitate positive change in Saskatchewan healthcare.

*Patient Partner volunteers often receive honoraria (payment as a token of appreciation for time and service provided) or other recognition for their contributions to research projects.

Research that matters to patients

Patient-oriented research ensures that research is driven by patient priorities - that is, issues that are important to the people most affected by the research. These are stories of how Patient Partners have influenced the direction of patient-oriented research in positive ways!