Background
- Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is active partnership with patients and members of the public to plan, manage, design and carry out research.
- Involving those with lived experience of a health condition and health services, brings expert insight and different knowledge.
- Researchers gain deeper understanding of the condition, improving research and ensuring it is relevant.
- PPI increases public awareness and accountability of research, which is often publicly funded.
What we did
- The Diabetes PPI Panel brings together those living with diabetes, their partners or carers with researchers.
- The group has evolved over the years and now has more than 50 members with a wide range of experience, both in research and in life.
- Researchers interact with the group at various stages of the research cycle, either at face-to-face meetings or electronically, including:
- Early phase – to gauge interest, guide development of the project and recruit steering group members.
- Grant writing – to assist with lay summaries and comment on details of proposed protocol.
- Recruitment – for advice or support to boost recruitment.
- Report-back – on project completion.
What difference did it make
- It has been a two-way road: Panel members positively contribute to the direction and quality of research in OCDEM, and researchers are able to access lay input for their projects.
- There are some real experts in the panel who have sat on funding panels and been involved in priority-setting groups, as well as lived experience of diabetes and research participation.
- This has been beneficial, particularly to junior researchers, providing an insight into how research funding is allocated and the importance of presenting research clearly to lay individuals.