Not just another toolkit: Patients with lived experiences co-created resources on opioid use and chronic pain

The Patient-Physician Partnership toolkit involves fact sheets and online modules that serve to educate patients, healthcare professionals and medical learners on opioid use and chronic pain. But what’s different about it is that it was co-developed by researchers and patients with lived experience. Now researchers want others to know how to incorporate that model in their own projects. The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) released the toolkit in 2023, with funding support from Health Canada. The first iteration was designed for undergraduate medical students, with the second for medical residents and practicing physicians. The patient-physician toolkit is for both the patient who experiences chronic pain and is prescribed opioids, and also for the physician. A paper on the project was published in April in Patient Education and Counselling. The discussion paper outlines the process of co-creation between eight patients and six healthcare professionals so future projects can use it as a model. The authors stress it was an authentic collaboration, and not just asking patients for token insights. Some of the lessons learned in working together was the need to have a common vocabulary, which is why the toolkit includes a glossary.“Patients bring real-life context that no textbook or lecture can fully capture,” said Dr. K. Jean Chen, one of the creators of the toolkit and assistant dean of curriculum for the undergraduate medical education program at the University of Ottawa. “When they co-design with us, it keeps the education grounded in what actually matters to people living with chronic pain and those affected by opioid use, which then ensure that our material is not only clinically relevant but also compassionate and human-centred.”Patients helped researchers understand in a more nuanced manner the impact of stigma and shame have on people seeking medical care for opioid use and pain. They helped identify the most harmful myths and misinformation surrounding opioid use and chronic pain, which the toolkit aims to challenge. One persistent myth is that people who use opioids need better willpower. “This project wasn’t just about opioid education; it was about shifting culture. It showed how we can—and should—learn with patients, not just about them,” Dr. Chen said in a press release from the University of Ottawa.A further report in the June 2025 issue of Academic Medicine outlines a qualitative study looking at the patient and researcher experience in the collaboration. The study, based on interviews, found that building authentic and equitable partnerships helped collaborators have a positive experience. The hope is that working with people with lived experience to create resources can help healthcare professionals provide appropriate care. “By hearing directly from patients during training, learners gain a deeper appreciation for what it’s like to navigate pain, stigma, and healthcare all at once,” Dr. Chen said. “This helps them ask better questions, listen more attentively, and avoid snap judgments, hopefully leading to care that’s more respectful, safe, and effective.”The researchers are now looking at ways to include this approach over the medical education continuum, Dr. Chen said.

Not just another toolkit: Patients with lived experiences co-created resources on opioid use and chronic pain

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