PPI 2015 Unit III

Unit III Impact of patient and public involvement in research

You have seen how patient and public involvement is now enshrined in research policy in the UK and is increasingly an essential requirement to gaining a grant. You have also seen how much effort is needed to make it effective. A key challenge is to demonstrate that involving patients and the public makes a positive difference to research.  In this unit, you will critically examine the evidence to support Professor Dame Sally Davies’ assertion that patient and public involvement improves the quality, relevance and cost-effectiveness of research (see Unit 1, Lesson 1). We will look at how impact might be measured and why it seems to be problematic. We will critically appraise some real-life case studies where researchers claim to demonstrate impact from involving patients in their research. We will also look at impact from the patient and researcher perspective, including a tutorial with Marilyn Kendall, a highly experienced researcher with an impressive track record of involving people affected by cancer and other long-term conditions in her research.

Aims

To critically examine the nature of evidence of the impact of involving patients and the public in research.

Learning outcomes

1. Critically appraise the theory and key principles of patient and public involvement in clinical research
2. Critically assess their own practice/place of work in relation to the level of patient and public involvement in research.
3. Evaluate the barriers to effective patient involvement and strategies and techniques to overcome such barriers.