Patient Partner Highlight | Susan Goold
For more than 5 years, Susan Goold was an active member of NL SUPPORT’s Patient Advisory Council (PAC). After responding to a newspaper advertisement, Susan joined the council hoping to bring a voice to the many patients within the health care system who fall through the cracks, drawing on both her lived experience and that of her family members. Currently residing in Nova Scotia, she is no longer a member of NL SUPPORT’s PAC but continues to be involved in patient support and advocacy work, and has a particular interest in chronic disease (arthritis), as well as autism.
Patient Engagement: In her role as a patient partner and advisor, Susan was involved in numerous engagement activities and research projects with NL SUPPORT and Quality of Care/Choosing Wisely NL. She was the only patient partner from Newfoundland to participate in the SPARK study, a multi-year research project funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) focusing on evidence-based screening tools and interventions for individuals living in poverty. Susan also had the opportunity to co-author a study in the evaluation and monitoring of patient engagement in health research projects, which was published in the journal of Research Involvement and Engagement.
Connecting her with other patient-oriented research (POR) initiatives across Canada, Susan attended numerous national conferences and meetings, including those held by the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (CHSPR) and the CIHR National Summit on POR.
Capacity Development: Through her involvement with NL SUPPORT, Susan also had the opportunity to review grant applications for NL SUPPORT’s funding program, which provides funding to clinicians and students conducting POR.
Governance: In addition to playing an active role on NL SUPPORT’s PAC, Susan was a member of the Data Management, Analysis and Measurement Committee, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador’s Centre for Health Information (NLCHI)’s committee on patient engagement.
According to Susan, the most rewarding aspect of being a patient partner is the chance to actually make a difference in the lives of patients navigating the health care system. While she recognizes that being a patient partner is a commitment, she believes that the payback from this commitment is absolutely worthwhile, and that the effects of one’s involvement in POR will have lasting, positive impacts for years to come.
She encourages anyone, but particularly those who can contribute a diverse and inclusive perspective, including youth, those living in rural areas, and the Indigenous community, to consider joining the PAC. While she is no longer a member of NL SUPPORT’s council, she is proud to say that her daughter is carrying on the flame and will be joining the Maritime Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit as a patient partner and advisor.
