Helping individuals connect with meaningful research opportunities and encouraging research teams to collaborate with patient partners, CanTrain (Canadian Consortium of Clinical Trial Training) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the landscape of clinical research in Canada. CanTrain offers self-paced, free courses for patients and community partners, designed to empower participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage effectively in clinical trials. By emphasizing and fostering...

Spearheaded by the United Way BC (UWBC), in partnership with health authorities, this relatively new program links patients to non-clinical services to improve health and reduce isolation. Designed for those 60+, social prescribing is now offered in the majority of British Columbia's 89 local health areas. As the ME|FM Society of BC receives requests for information about meal assistance, we are thankful to note that the program includes food security programs (Good Food Box), among others. ...

Recently, our Society was involved in reviewing a Long COVID research protocol. There were several concerns. But one stood out. The study largely treated Long COVID as a single illness, with a single protocol design for all participants, implicitly assuming that all Long COVID patients have similar symptoms, risks, and responses to treatment. That assumption is the problem. Because what we call “Long COVID” is not one condition. It is a catch-all term for a few very different long-term...