Empowering Stigmatized Voices: Cocreating a Curriculum on Pain and Opioid Use Disorder With Patient Partners

Area of Science:

• Health professions education research
• Patient and clinician engagement
• Collaborative content development

Background:

• Patient and health care professional (HCP) subject matter experts (SMEs) are increasingly involved in cocreating educational materials.
• Understanding their partnership experiences is crucial for optimizing future collaborative initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the partnership experiences of patient and HCP SMEs in cocreating educational content.
• To identify reflections on how to better support educational partnerships in future initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, exploratory study utilizing semistructured interviews with patient and HCP SMEs.
• Interviews conducted via videoconferencing, audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Eight patient SMEs and 6 HCP SMEs participated.
• Three overarching themes emerged: building authentic partnerships, developing equitable partnership processes, and setting the stage for successful cocreation.
• Key elements included meaningful engagement, shared expectations, clear communication, embracing diversity, and sustained involvement.

Conclusions:

• Positive cocreation experiences hinge on authentic partnerships and equitable processes.
• Future research should focus on fostering effective cocreation within educational partnerships.