e-Health Patient Partners

If you are a Canadian patient, Patient Partner, or family member/Caregiver (see below for definitions) with lived and living experiences of health systems, who is able to attend e-Health 2026 in Halifax from June 14-16, you may apply to become an e-Health Patient Partner. A link to the application form will be available here when the Patient Partner Funding application period opens on January 5, 2026.

• ‘Patient’ refers to any individual in Canada with firsthand experience receiving healthcare services. This includes those currently in care, those who have received care in the past, and individuals managing ongoing health conditions.
• ‘Patient Partner’ is an individual with lived experience, whether as a patient, caregiver, or advocate, who shares their perspectives to help inform and shape healthcare programs, discussions, and decisions and is a member of a Patient Advocacy Association.
• ‘Family member/Caregiver’ is an individual who provides unpaid care or support to a loved one. Such as a family member, partner, or close friend who is receiving healthcare or managing a health condition. Caregivers may assist with daily activities, attend medical appointments, help with decision-making, and offer emotional support.

Select Patient Partners will receive complimentary conference registration as well as financial assistance with transportation to the conference and two nights of accommodation (some restrictions apply). If you have been a Patient Partner for e-Health or received funding from e-Health in the last two years, you are not eligible.

Key dates

• January 5, 2026: Patient Partner Funding application period opens
• February 8, 2026: Patient Partner Funding application period closes
• February 9-18, 2026: Committee review period
• February 20, 2026: All application notifications sent out

Funding applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied. Notifications will be sent by February 20, 2026.

Information on how to connect with the e-Health26 Patient Partners at sessions they are moderating, or during breaks on the trade show floor near the e-Health host booths (Look for the “Ask a Patient Partner” sign), coming soon.

• How can I get patients involved in product development?
• How can we be more welcoming to patients when conducting research?
• How can I collaborate with patients on projects
• What value do patients and caregivers bring to projects?
• What’s in it for the patient partners?
• What are some best practices for patient inclusivity?
• How can we create safe and inviting spaces for patients?
• How can we engage with young patients?

Organizations

• National Patient Advisors Network (PAN)
• British Columbia Patient Voices Network (PVN)

Guidelines

• Alberta Health Services Guidebook for Engaging Patient and Family Advisors
• Health Quality Ontario (HQO) Get Started Working with Patient Advisors

Research and Publications

• Reimagining the research landscape (PAN report for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2024)
• The Canadian Patient Partner Study (McMaster University, 2023)
• Learning Together: Evaluation framework for Patient and Public Engagement (PPE) in research (Centre of Excellence for Partnership with Patients and the Public (CEPPP), 2023)
• Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research: Patient Engagement Framework (Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
• Declaration of Personal Health Data Rights in Canada
• Collective AI Rights For Patients v_2.0
• Beyond experiential knowledge: a classification of patient knowledge (Vincent Dumez & Audrey L’Espérance)
• Towards conceptualizing patients as partners in health systems: a systematic review and descriptive synthesis (Health Research Policy and Systems)