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Get Involved as a Patient or Family Partner


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A patient or family partner is someone who has experience with cancer care as a patient, caregiver, family member or supporter. Our patient and family partners contribute to people-centred care by sharing their experiences in projects and on committees. 

Helpful Handouts

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Background & Purpose:

Some cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, can lead to hair loss. This can be upsetting for many people and may affect how they feel about themselves. It’s important to understand why these changes happen and to have support in maintaining a healthy body image.

A team, including the Cancer Care Coordinator for the Gynecologic Surgical Oncology program, is developing a handout to support individuals who have experienced or are experiencing hair loss during cancer treatment. They are looking for two patient or family partners to review the handout to ensure that it is clear, supportive, and accessible to those who need it most.

Partners are invited to:

  • Assess whether the content is clear and easy to understand
  • Review the tone and language to ensure they are compassionate, respectful, and patient-centred
  • Suggest any additional ideas or resources that could strengthen the handout
  • Once finalized, the handout will be shared on BC Cancer’s website so it’s available to anyone who might benefit from it.
Level of influence:
Involve: Partners are involved throughout the engagement to provide feedback.

Eligibility:
  • You are a patient or a family partner. 
  • You or someone you have supported has experienced hair loss as a result of their cancer treatment. 
Location: Virtual meetings

Date: July 21, 2025

Time Commitment: 2-3 hours total 

Honorarium: $30/hour

Closing date: July 16, 2025

Background & Purpose: 

In British Columbia, there is currently no formal process to help patients receiving palliative radiation therapy get connected to the right clinic or know what to expect before their first appointment. In other places, a trained radiation therapist contacts patients ahead of time to understand their needs, guide them to the right care, and answer questions early on. This type of early contact—called a triage call—has been shown to improve the overall experience for patients. 


A radiation therapist at BC Cancer is exploring how a similar triage process could support people who are receiving radiation to help relieve pain from cancer that has spread to the bones. The goal is to improve communication, reduce confusion, and better meet patient expectations before treatment begins.


They are looking for two patient or family partners to learn more about what information would have been helpful before their first radiation department appointment, what was surprising, and how a triage call might have improved their experience if it had been available.

Level of influence:

Involve: Partners are involved throughout the engagement to provide feedback.

Eligibility:
  • You are a patient or a family partner, 
  • You have received radiation therapy treatment for bone metastasis.
    • A bone metastasis is when cancer has spread to a person’s bones.  
  • Optional: You have received treatment at the Vancouver Rapid Access Clinic (VARA).
Location: Virtual meetings

Date: July 21, 2025

Time Commitment: 1-2 hours total 

Honorarium: $30/hour

Closing date: July 16, 2025
















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SOURCE: Get Involved as a Patient or Family Partner ( )
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