CAPO and CANO aligning priorities: The power of conversation, collaboration and co-creation

Presenters: Carmen Loiselle, Joy Tarasuk, Doris Howell

As two key Canadian organizations committed to enhancing experiences and outcomes for people affected by cancer – the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) and the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) have undertaken collaborative processes to optimize our strategic plans. 

In this symposium we discuss how CAPO and CANO independently and together push our organizations’ agendas forward. Through 3 presentations, we 1) introduce our respective vision, mission, and priorities, 2) identify promising trends including value-based health care that can benefit from fuller integration within and across organizations, and 3) present a concrete example, the I-CAN Manage Program that underscores how innovation co-design and integration can readily be achieved. The symposium concludes with a discussion on next steps to further collaboration, creativity, and innovation as essential components of co-creation.

Patient Engagement in Research

This symposium is envisioned as an opportunity to explore current issues in patient engagement in research through the sharing of experiences of two researcher-patient dyads who have been jointly involved in research. The format will include a brief introduction of each dyad and their main activities and a moderated Q&A. Topics of conversation will include how the dyads built their partnerships, the nature of the patient and researcher contributions, any challenges, benefits and lessons learned.

Moderator: Vicky Forster

A cancer biologist by training, Forster recently became the Patient and Community Engagement Lead at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. Her research experience involves various pediatric cancer research and survivorship projects. She is also a freelance science writer, contributing to publications such as The Times and Forbes Health, and a prolific public speaker, giving talks on survivorship and patient engagement in research to organizations such as TEDGlobal, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) and the Society of Neuro-oncology. As a childhood cancer survivor herself, Forster combines all of these skills to design and build bridges between researchers and patient advocacy communities.

Dyad 1: Researcher: Dr. Nawal Amhis

Dr. Nawal Amhis is a General Surgery Resident at Université de Sherbrooke. She is also pursuing a master's degree in immunology in the Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, where her research will aim to better understand the mechanisms by which oncolytic virotherapy by VSVd51 influences innate immune cells such as myeloid regulatory cells and modulates the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Patient Partner: Julie Carignan

Julie Carignan is a surgical sales representative whose career spans more than 20 years. Since she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular cancer in 2022, Julie has volunteered her time to support multiple initiatives focused on advancing cancer research, particularly for hard-to-treat cancers.

Dyad 2: Researcher: Dr. Jacqueline Galica

Dr. Jacqueline Galica is Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. Her research interests are guided by her clinical nursing experience, primarily exploring the psychosocial needs of post-treatment cancer survivors and seeking to identify methods useful to help survivors meet these needs. In her research, Jacqueline prioritizes partnerships with individuals diagnosed with cancer and survivors to identify researchable topics that are meaningful to them.

Patient Partner: Amy Wickenden

Amy Wickenden is a Certified Financial Planner with Sun Life. Prior to this career shift, she ran her own business as a hairstylist. Since Amy was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2016, she has spoken at educational events about the patient perspective through treatment and recovery.