OHTN is committed to Impact-focused research, defined as research relevant to the lives of people living with and at-risk of HIV that will have a measurable impact on their lives. In November 2014, OHTN partnered with the Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) Positive Leadership Development Institute (PLDI) to gather input from people living with HIV (PHAs) from across the province about their research priorities. The planning team was led by PHAs and facilitation was provided by PHA facilitators from PLDI and OHTN peer associates. Eighty-seven PHAs participated: 62 males and 25 females.
Rather than fitting PHA lived experience into research jargon, context and structure, participants were encouraged to share personal reflections about the questions most important to them. These were explored more deeply to identify research considerations, PHA nuances and personal impact in their lives. The day emphasized creating an actionable priority list producing the following seven priorities: mental health, access, aging, clinical, holistic and complementary care, criminalization, and poverty.