Meaningful Engagement or Co-Production, or Both?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the cracks in healthcare performance. Dysfunctionalities and exhaustion appeared, but so did resilience and innovation. Examination of these cracks offers opportunities for learning and potential for new developments just as in the Japanese art of kintsugi, which is about building new objects from pieces of broken ceramic and mending the cracks. Engagement and partnership activities came under strain in Canada, as well - a pioneer in the field. Some were put on hold; others proved resilient and contributed to surmounting the challenges of the pandemic. Applying their Engagement-Capable Environments Framework, Kuluski and colleagues (2024) studied kintsugi in partnership activities in Canada during the pandemic. The resulting case studies exemplify the factors facilitating engagement and partnership during crisis. Through a lens of co-production that we see as a precondition for understanding and improving healthcare during a crisis and beyond, we challenge the results of the study, hoping to open new perspectives and advance engagement and partnership.