January 20, 2026

Mind the Gap, one of nine research projects currently supported by the Can-SOLVE CKD Network, has reached an important milestone with the publication of a new peer-reviewed paper in the Patient Experience Journal.

The paper documents the co-design of a patient-facing mental healthcare pathway for people receiving dialysis and is co-authored by members of the project’s Community Advisory Committee—comprised of patient partners—reflecting Can-SOLVE CKD’s commitment to patient-oriented research.

The publication highlights how patient partners, healthcare providers, and researchers worked together to translate a clinical care pathway into an online resource that is accessible, relevant, and meaningful for people with lived experience of dialysis.

This work was also recently featured in a University of Alberta Folio article, which includes interviews with patient partner and community advisor Jeff Costley, nurse practitioner student Alexandra Albers, and Mind the Gap co-lead and University of Alberta nursing professor Dr. Kara Schick-Makaroff. The story explores the value of co-design and patient partnership in shaping research outputs that can be used in real-world settings.

Speaking about the mental healthcare pathway in the video “Beyond the Machine: Q&A on dialysis and mental health”, Costley says, “I hope the information about mental health becomes more accessible and that some of the stigma around mental health can be erased. It would be great to see people use this pathway and for it to become more common place.”

The patient-facing mental healthcare pathway has been available online since June 2025 through MyHealth Alberta. It provides practical, supportive information to help people navigate the emotional and mental health challenges of dialysis, and can be shared widely with patients, caregivers, and care teams.

Click here to explore the patient-facing pathway, Your Journey: Coping With and Adjusting to Dialysis, which can be viewed online and downloaded as a PDF. To learn more about the Mind the Gap project, visit its project page on the Can-SOLVE CKD website.