Evaluation of the Implementation and Contribution of Patient Partners on a Steering Committee at a University Hospital in the Province of Québec, Canada.

Background/Objectives: Over the past decade, an academic hospital in Montréal has progressively integrated patient partnership into quality improvement committees and peer support. In January 2024, this approach was extended by appointing two patient partners to the Steering Committee, a strategic governance body. This study aimed to describe their integration, examine perceived effects and limitations from patient partners' and executives' perspectives, and formulate recommendations for similar initiatives. Methods: An in-depth qualitative case study was conducted between August 2024 and April 2025. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with Steering Committee members, including the two patient partners, and with the former Chief Executive Officer. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis to identify themes related to implementation, participation, perceived contributions, and organizational conditions. Results: Integrating patient partners into the Steering Committee was unanimously perceived as relevant and value-adding. Their presence reintroduced the patient perspective, grounded deliberations in lived experience, reinforced the hospital's mission, supported shared understanding, and encouraged simplification of complex issues. Challenges constrained more active participation, including insufficient clarity regarding roles and objectives; variable access to information due to confidentiality; technical language and acronyms; meeting formats that did not systematically create space for patient partners' input; and incomplete institutional recognition. Variation across departments also emerged. Conclusions: Integrating patient partners into a Steering Committee is a promising governance innovation, but deliberate organizational adjustments are required. Co-constructed expectations and roles, strengthened onboarding and ongoing support, formalized information-access modalities, improved facilitation and plain-language practices, and stronger symbolic and practical recognition are needed to sustain meaningful participation.