A PAC First!

November 28, 2011 - PAC members provide input for a study on the appropriate use of personal information for health research and planning.

PAC was officially invited by to provide the public/patient perspective to this study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Eight PAC members signed on for the sessions which took place over two days.

The use of personal health information is a critical issue for our times since technology provides easy access to information but also raises privacy concerns. To bring this subject into focus and make our discussions both manageable and meaningful, we were well led through case studies which brought the issues down to earth.

I did wonder if I would be able to manage two days of this, but found myself totally gripped by the subject and the observations of my fellow participants. The time flew by helped by the able team leading the sessions. Any concern I had about differences of opinion especially around some sensitive topics disappeared early on with everyone’s commitment to respectful listening and discussion. We were all there because we want to make a positive difference in healthcare and that truly helped set a productive tone.

We were also happily well fed and took a few moments to wave to Santa as he paraded down University Avenue.

I am glad of this opportunity to potentially impact policy and procedures and to join with a great group of others also seeking positive changes. This is exactly why I joined PAC.

Alies