Episode #28
APERSU Patient Engagement Network
In this episode, we’re joined by 4 team members of the APERSU Patient Engagement Network. They're here today to share their views and experiences about Patient Reported Outcome Measures, or PROMS for short. Guests: Gloria Wilkinson who is a retired registered nurse with over 25 years of experience volunteering in Alberta’s health system. She continues to stay actively engaged through ongoing learning, including training with Patient and Community Engagement Research. Living in a retirement community, Gloria brings a unique perspective shaped by daily connection with people of diverse abilities, keeping her closely attuned to the evolving needs of patients and caregivers. D’Arcy Duquette, who is a dedicated patient advocate and cancer survivor who brings lived experience and leadership to improving health systems across Alberta. He serves on numerous advisory committees and networks, contributing to initiatives in patient engagement, emergency care, and quality improvement. D’Arcy’s work has been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his contributions to community and healthcare advocacy. Simron Sidhu, who is a passionate advocate for inclusive, people-centred health care shaped by personal experiences as a caregiver supporting chronic health issues. He has expertise in community engagement and collaborative problem solving, which helps ensure local perspectives guide health programs and decision-making. Simron has served on the Imagine Citizens Network, championing culturally responsive mental health supports, advocating for immigrant health equity and incorporating these perspectives into policy solutions. Allison Soprovich , who brings a nursing background and a deep commitment to patient-centred care. As an End-Users Lead for APERSU, she works across sectors and communities to bridge research and practice, with a passion for ensuring patient perspectives and the data they share, translate into meaningful improvements in health care. Together, they’ve been co-designing tools like a patient-friendly PROMs tip sheet and contributing to presentations, panels, and research planning efforts. Their work highlights how partnership and co-creation can make PROMs more relevant, accessible, and impactful.
