Conducting Patient Oriented Research (POR) in a Forensic Psychiatric Facility: A Case Study of Patient Involvement

Abstract

Patient oriented research (POR) is new to the healthcare research landscape in Canada and has not yet been applied to the forensic field. This review begins by introducing POR, the POR Level of Engagement Tool, and complimentary approaches used in research with forensic patients. Next, the potential key challenges, paradoxes, and benefits of applying POR to a forensic mental health setting are presented. Drawing on this understanding, a review of our team’s experiences applying the POR Level of Engagement Tool at the Regional Psychiatric Center, a Canadian forensic psychiatric facility, is presented as a case study. The research question supported by our patient advisors and addressed with patients and facility staff was: “What topics do you think we need to know more about to benefit patients at the Regional Psychiatric Center?” We conclude this review article with recommendations on how to meaningfully, and practically, involve forensic psychiatric patients diagnosed with mental disorders in POR when initiating a project. Forensic psychiatric patients can provide insightful knowledge based on their experiences of mental illness to improve the prison health care system and practices.