Patient Public Involvement groups
Public-Patient Involvement
Patient-Public Involvement groups ensure that the voices of service users, patients, carers, care staff and the wider public are included at all stages of a research project, from design, to delivery, and disseminating the results.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) defines public involvement in research as “Research being carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them.” People who join PPI groups bring their experiences, knowledge, and skills to help shape and strengthen research that really matters and makes a positive difference for those who are most affected.
The NELFT Research & Development team believe PPI involvement is vital to plan and deliver research that is high-quality, relevant, valuable, feasible and focusses on the unique needs of the communities we work with.
Our PPI groups work with our research teams and grant applicants in a range of ways. They can assist in highlighting research needs and opportunities that influence the design and delivery of a research study to improve care and practice. They may also help us identify ways to reach potential participants for a study or advise on accessibility or acceptability of study documents (such as Participant Information Sheets or adverts). Their voices are key at all stages of the research cycle to ensure we are meeting research priorities and influencing the delivery of research with the needs and views of those it will impact most at heart.
UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research
The National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) have published UK standards for public involvement in research that describe their vision of what good public involvement looks like. Read more about the six value-based themes here.
- Inclusive Opportunities – Public involvement partnerships are accessible and include a range of people and groups, as informed by community and research needs.
- Working Together – work together in a way that values all contributions, and that builds and sustains mutually respectful and productive relationships.
- Support and Learning – Offer and promote support and learning opportunities that build confidence and skills for public involvement in research.
- Communications – Use plain language for well-timed and relevant communications, as part of involvement plans and activities.
- Impact – Seek improvement by identifying and sharing the difference that public involvement makes to research.
- Governance – Involve the public in research management, regulation, leadership and decision making.
Do you want to be involved in a PPI group?
If you recognise the value of research and would like to contribute to our on-going work through PPI then please get in touch.