Partnering with People with Lived Experience to Enable Person-Centered Integrated Care

Across Canada, people with lived experience are leading transformative work in integrated care. From national networks to research partnerships, this leadership is creating the infrastructure needed for genuine co-design and shared decision-making. Healthcare systems increasingly recognize the importance of involving people with lived experience, and many are doing more of this work than ever before. What's emerging now is the shift from involvement to authentic partnership where power is genuinely shared.

Moving from consultation to authentic partnership requires systems to change how they operate, not just how they engage. It means confronting power dynamics, investing time in building trust and relationships, and creating conditions where people can participate fully as co-leaders, not just advisors.

This session brought together people with lived experience, researchers, and system leaders to explore what authentic partnership looks like in practice, what it takes to sustain it, and how to build on the transformative leadership already underway across the country. Participants joined us to learn and unlearn together, connecting with others working toward integrated care shaped by the people it serves.