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Share Your Story
Do you have a personal health care story that you would like to share? Your story could be included in Janet Walker’s research about Canadians who are unable to find reasonable access to medically necessary care. She is investigating the experiences of those Canadians who are on long wait lists and also those who have chosen to leave the wait lists in order to find their own healthcare in the private sector. From Canadians who have lived the experience, this research documents their experiences and passes on their practical advice.
Sharing your story will
- help others in similar situations
- contribute to greater understanding using documentation and research
- add to a broader, more accurate discussion of health care
- play a role in promoting positive change in our health care system
Janet is currently looking for stories that fall into the following categories
Stories about waiting
Are you waiting an unreasonable amount of time for health care? What kind of medical services are you waiting for? How is it affecting your life? Has your life stopped? What are the effects on you, your life’s work or responsibilities, your health, and your happiness?
Stories about finding your own solution
How did you find your own solution to your health problem? What was your experience? How would you advise others who are waiting? How would you advise our health care planners?
Stories called "Thank heavens I knew someone"
Were you able to get health care because you knew someone? These stories are becoming a widespread phenomenon, and Janet wants to document them. Real names will not be used.
Questions about participating in this research? This Q&A will help.
What is the Name of the Study?
Finding Healthcare: Canadian Experiences.
Who is Eligible for this Study?
To be eligible, you must be:
- A Canadian or a Canadian resident
- 18 years old or older or
- An adult who can legally share the experience of a minor
- On a medical wait list and/or
- A person who left the wait lines in order to find their own care in the private domain.
Who is Conducting this Research Study?
The researcher (principal investigator) is:
Janet Walker MSN, RN
Adjunct Professor, Nursing
She is exploring the issue of access to healthcare in
What is the Study About?
The research study, “Finding Healthcare: Canadian Experiences” is about what Canadians do when they cannot get timely access to healthcare. This study focuses on those Canadians who are waiting in our medical wait lines and also those Canadians who decided to leave the wait lines and find their own healthcare in the private sector. The aim of the study is to hear from these Canadians about the realities of medical waiting and/or the experiences of finding private healthcare. Their opinions, advice and recommendations about improvement to healthcare access will be sought.
What is the Purpose of the Study?
The purposes of this study are two. The first is to reveal the realities of waiting for medically necessary care and/or finding one’s own healthcare. The second objective is to accumulate the opinions, advice and recommendations from those who have lived the experience. Based on the findings, we will gain a greater awareness of what Canadians go through as they wait and/or leave for medically necessary care. Further, from the people who lived the experience, we will be able to hear their suggestions for improvements for access to healthcare. Finally, as
What Will Be Involved if I Decide to Participate?
You will be asked to take part in a single interview with the researcher. The topic of the interview will be your experience and thoughts related to waiting and/or finding your own private healthcare. The interview will be tape recorded so that the information can be saved, put together with the experiences of others and examined for core themes and messages. The interview should take approximately 20-30 minutes. The interview will take place on the telephone, or in person, whichever is more convenient to both people.
Confidentiality
If you choose to participate, any personally identifiable information will be kept private, secure and confidential in locked systems. It will only be accessible by the researcher. For the purposes of the interview data, participants will be given a choice of having their real first name used or a fictional name.
Your participation is Voluntary
Your participation is entirely voluntary. You have the right to refuse to participate in any way. If you decide to participate, your decision is not binding and you may choose to withdraw from the study at any time without giving any reason.
Consent
If you choose to take part in this study, you will be asked to give your oral consent in the recorded interview. Further, this information sheet will be sent to you for your records.
Possible Harms and Benefits from Participating in the Study
There are no anticipated harms associated with participating in this study. The risks are seen as no worse than those associated with everyday life.
Possible Benefits:
There may or may not be direct benefits to you from taking part in this study. Many people find that sharing their personal experiences and being heard offers a positive personal benefit. We hope that the information from this study can be used to benefit other people experiencing lack of timely access to healthcare.
Withdrawal from the Study
If, after being interviewed, you wish not to be part of the study, you are free to withdraw at any time without any problem. Simply notify the researcher using the contact information provided. The researcher will remove your recorded interview from the data base. The recorded interview and any related information will be destroyed.
To Participate in this Study
If you wish to participate in this study, please contact Janet by clicking here. She will be pleased to meet you via email or telephone and talk further about the study.
Thank you for considering sharing your story for the purposes of research and publication. I believe that the result of this research will be improved healthcare access for everyone.
Janet
Share Your Story Form
Stories are used for documentation, research and possible publication. If you would like to learn more about sharing your story, please complete the form and Janet will contact you. *These fields are required.
Please send your story with your name, email address and phone number to info@findinghealthcare.ca