EXCEL – Participant Advisory Board (PAB)

The Patient Advisory Board (PAB) provides advice to the Exercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well (EXCEL) core team on research questions, program design, and delivery, for a Canada-wide cancer exercise program. The advice and suggestions draw upon evidence-based practice and innovative delivery, while meeting community and participant needs, and taking financial parameters into consideration. The PAB communicates to the core team of EXCEL, any advice relating to EXCEL research, programming, or delivery that is developed as a result of their work. The PAB provides the opportunity to integrate the collective ‘voice’ of those living with cancer into the vision and mission of EXCEL. 

The EXCEL participant advisory board, or PAB, is a group of current and former EXCEL participants that have agreed to be more involved with the EXCEL study and our programs on an ongoing basis. Its purpose is to ensure that participant perspectives are actively considered within the EXCEL study as part of our participant-oriented research approach. The PAB amplifies the voices of those with lived experiences of both cancer and our exercise oncology programs, empowering them to impact our ongoing dissemination and implementation research. Currently, the PAB is made up of 5-6 participants from across Canada. PAB members meet regularly with the research team to collaborate on exercise program and study improvements. Key areas of involvement include referral and outreach, exercise programming and implementation, as well as ongoing participant support. We are grateful for the invaluable contributions of the PAB to the success of the EXCEL study.

One of the projects the PAB and EXCEL team developed, are the Patient Advocacy Toolkits. These kits serve as a guide to promote the EXCEL program and increase awareness of the importance of exercise for those living with and beyond cancer. 

Whether you're advocating for yourself, a loved one, or within a professional capacity, these province-specific toolkits are your ally. The advocacy toolkits will ensure you have the knowledge and resources needed to be a strong and effective voice for those living with and beyond cancer.