Patient partnership is essential to the advancement of pain research

Patient partnership is becoming a cornerstone of pain research advancement. It is a key strategy in promoting inclusive research practices and is now a requirement of many funding bodies. The involvement of people with lived experience as partners in research not only enhances research quality, relevance, and impact, but also embodies the principles of health equity and social justice. Indeed, patient partnership is fundamentally about the democratization of science. Historically, patient involvement and advocacy have been key drivers of change in health research, including in the field of pain. This commentary highlights key areas where patient partners are actively shaping the pain research ecosystem and the leading practices being implemented to guide the pain research community. As patient partnership rapidly evolves both within pain research and beyond, it is imperative to stay aware of and educate ourselves on advancements occurring in the broader patient partnership sphere. The integration of patient partnership in research calls for reflexivity, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed approaches to ensure diverse experiences are included and respected. Ultimately, patient partnership has the potential to advance pain research, leading to better understanding, prevention, and management of pain across diverse populations and improved health outcomes. PERSPECTIVE: Concerted efforts are needed to expand patient partnership in pain research. In addition to enhancing research quality and impact, patient partnership is also fundamentally about the democratization of science, health equity, and an act of social justice that is essential to the advancement of pain research, practice, and policy.