Why did you choose to explore research at McMaster University?

I was drawn to McMaster University’s commitment to and productivity in conducting high-quality health research from a variety of disciplines. Many different departments and teams at McMaster generate such interesting and impactful research about human health and disease, and I wanted to contribute in some way. 

Why did you get involved in your specific area of research or academic program, and what interests you about it?

I began working with my current supervisor, Dr. Andrew Costa, as an undergraduate research assistant during a co-operative education term. This role provided me with my first exposure to health services research, and I was very interested in how administrative (secondary) data collected during health encounters could be examined and applied in health research. Our team is comprised of multidisciplinary health providers and researchers interested in various settings where older adults seek care (e.g., emergency departments, home care, long-term care, and primary care), and I quickly became interested in the competence and quality of providers delivering care in these different settings. 

What are your career aspirations or plans following completion of your current training?

I am planning to pursue postdoctoral training after my PhD to advance my mixed methods training and launch my career as an independent investigator. My postdoctoral work will build upon my dissertation to examine the impact of population aging on the primary care workforce across multiple provinces while considering the unique roles of family physicians with additional skills and knowledge in the care of the elderly. 

What excites you most about your research or what has been the most exciting moment in your (academic) career so far?

I attended a national health services research conference (one of the first in-person conferences I attended since starting graduate school) and had the opportunity to meet researchers whose work has been very influential to my career. It is exciting to see myself now as part of the health services and aging research community and learn that my work is informative to others. 

Why do you think patient-oriented research is important in the research you are involved in? 

The first study of my dissertation, Development of practice-based quality indicators for the primary care of older adults: a RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method study protocol, established a set of practice-based quality measures for the primary care of older adults. We consulted clinicians and researchers through a formal consensus process to develop these indicators and their corresponding technical definitions to be examined in administrative (secondary) data. What was missing from this study were the perspectives of the patients and what their needs and preferences regarding high-quality primary care were. 

This gap led me to apply for the trainee engagement fund (now called the Partnership in Research Fellowship) to support engagement activities with older adults as partners in this study. Patient partners will be involved in the design, data collection, and analysis of interview data with older adults to achieve our study’s aims. These partners will offer valuable insights when devising our participant recruitment plans, developing our interview guide, pilot testing the guide, conducting interviews with research participants, and analyzing the data. 

What do you find most challenging as a trainee about your specific research area and how have you overcome these challenges?

Like many graduate students, I experienced imposter syndrome during the first few years of graduate school. I felt intimidated by faculty or trainees with more experience than me and felt overwhelmed by the amount of content (both methodological and topic-wise) that I was lacking in comparison. However, over the course of my training, I developed more confidence in my knowledge and skills and am starting to recognize the contributions my work offers to the field. Becoming more involved in different research groups, arranging informal coffee chats with mentors, and being receptive to new learning opportunities have allowed me to develop professionally and personally as a researcher. 

How do you think your research can improve patient-oriented research in aging and health?

My research will offer insights about how patient engagement can inform secondary analyses of health administrative data. Rather than skipping ahead to measure the quality indicators established by clinicians and researchers from my first thesis study, we are engaging older adults as patient partners and interview participants to better understand their needs and preferences for quality care. These engagement activities will make the work more meaningful to patients because our eventual secondary data analysis will consider their contributions and insights. 

What experiences or advice would you like to share with prospective/new trainees?

I would suggest that prospective trainees take some time to reflect on their research objectives and consider the opportunity to engage patient partners in their work. Consider the spectrum of your proposed work and think about activities that could benefit from the input of patient partners. The Collaborative staff and trainees are very receptive to discuss opportunities for patient-engaged research; I would encourage you to reach out if you’re considering or wondering how to engage patients in your work. 

What would you tell someone who is thinking about getting involved in patient-oriented research in aging and health?

I would encourage aging researchers to regularly reflect on the objectives of their research and consider the impacts or value it offers to patients. Consider visiting an older family member, friend, neighbour, or colleague and try explaining your research project to them. Being able to communicate your research to others (especially patients) is a very useful skill, and you want to ensure your work is ultimately meaningful to end-users (patients, health care providers, etc.). If you’re conducting research about older adults, it makes sense to engage them (either informally or formally) to understand ways to strengthen your work and ensure it is meaningful. 

What qualities do you consider important for success in your specific area of research?

Communication is one of the most important skills to develop as a trainee. As a researcher, you need to be able to share your findings with others via presentations, thesis defenses, written reports, peer-reviewed articles, social media posts, interviews, and other forms. Beyond this, communicating your research to other audiences, such as to older adult patient partners, requires different ways of thinking. How can you break down academic terms into meaningful ways for the public to understand? What is the point of your research? What should others take away from your work? 

Upon meeting with patient partners for the first time, learning how to communicate my aims, methodology, and approach was one of my greatest learning opportunities. Work on your “elevator pitch” in lay terms and be ready to share this with others!