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Engaging patients and the public in co-designing a vision for primary care

ThursdayJuly 2nd3:00 - 4:00224 / 225 M

Neb KOVACINA

Across countries, primary care systems face pressures related to access, continuity, and equity. Yet reforms often proceed without deeply engaging the people most affected: patients and communities. In Canada, OurCare—a 16-month national public-engagement initiative involving nearly 10,000 people—co-designed a shared vision for high-quality, equitable primary care. The resulting OurCare Standard has influenced provincial and national reforms, including Ontario’s new Primary Care Act. This workshop will share lessons from the OurCare process and invite participants to explore how similar deliberative and community-based approaches could be adapted to their national or regional settingsBy the end of the session, participants will be able to: 1. Describe key components of a large-scale public-engagement process in primary care. 2. Identify strategies for involving diverse communities—including marginalized and underrepresented groups—in co-design. 3. Reflect on how public priorities can shape system reform. 4. Adapt elements of the OurCare model to their local, regional, or national settings.The workshop will combine a structured presentation with facilitated discussion and brief paired activities. Participants will be introduced to the three phases of the OurCare process—national survey, priority-setting panels, and community roundtables—and then guided to reflect on how elements of each phase could translate to their settings. Worksheets will support participants in identifying opportunities, barriers, and design considerations for meaningful public engagement. 0–25 min: Overview of the OurCare initiative, including the three phases and resulting policy impact. 25–45 min: Paired and small-group reflection on adapting engagement approaches within participants’ settings. 45–60 min: Plenary discussion, resource sharing, and identifying next steps.Participants will gain an understanding of practical methods to support meaningful patient and public engagement, along with draft ideas they can use to design or strengthen similar processes in their own jurisdictions.Public engagement is essential to building primary care systems that reflect community priorities and values. This workshop will equip participants with practical strategies and tools to involve patients and the public in shaping a shared vision for the future of primary care.