Confidence in Building - We Got This!

By Joletta Belton

People often ask me how I got involved with health research and education. It’s not a simple answer, because I never planned on being here! As with many folks in similar roles, I am an accidental advocate and partner in the health research landscape.

My particular path was paved with pain that didn’t get better like it should have. I got hurt during the course of my work as a firefighter paramedic, so was in the workers compensation system in the US. It was not a great experience. I really struggled to get the right care, guidance, resources, and support.

Navigating a difficult system, and trying to make sense of my pain, led to a whole lot of frustration, and a whole lot of advocating for myself (when I had the least capacity to do so). When I ultimately made it through that system, when I finally found the right information, resources, and support, I began writing about it on my blog. And to my shock, people read it! They began to reach out to me and I learned there was this whole community out there of people who’d also struggled with pain or unexplained medical conditions and trying to navigate what are often difficult systems, no matter where you are in the world.

The more I wrote about the issues I’d faced, the more I realized they were issues so many others faced as well. Not just people with health conditions, either. I also connected with researchers, clinicians, educators, advocates, and carers.

I started attending conferences and met more folks, and eventually those connections led to being asked to give a presentation at a conference or in a classroom, or to become involved in research as a patient partner or person with lived experience.

I had ZERO idea what I was doing, but I said yes to things anyway.

So it was not a planned path at all, I just sort of ended up here. Many of the researchers and educators I worked with also had zero idea what they were doing when it came to involving someone like me in their work. A non-academic, who was sharing their lived experiences, insights, and knowledge with their audiences or research teams. There was a lot of figuring it all out together.

Thankfully, there are a lot more resources now than when I first got started with all this. I’m going to share some of the resources that PxP has created or collated below, but first I want to say, no matter where you are in your journey of collaborating in health research or education, your knowledge and insights are invaluable. I share my story just to say you don’t have to feel like you know what you’re doing to get started. I still don’t feel like I know what I’m doing, even as I take leadership roles in this space.

If you're well on your way in engagement and involvement in health research, PxP has some great resources to keep building your skills and expand your interests. And if you’re an old pro, we still got you.

I’ve tried to group some resources together for those just starting, those who’ve been at it for a while, and those who are experts in this space. Each block includes video and written resources, including from the PxP 2023 conference, the PxP 2024 webinars, and resources that were recommended by our PxP 2023 Steering Committee.

We hope you find something here that interests you. There’s plenty more to discover under the PxP Resource Hub as well! And if you’re not signed up for emails, be sure to do so as PxP 2024, led by a new steering committee, will be here before you know it!

If you’re early in your involvement in research, go here

If you’ve been doing this for a while and want even more, go here

If you’re a seasoned veteran of PPIE, these resources might be interesting!