Participatory Research in Health Care

Abstract

This chapter describes participatory health research in health care as a cluster of practices in which patients, service users, carers, or members of the public contribute to research. This participation is one form of patient and public involvement in health research. Participatory research often uses qualitative methods to understand and represent the experiences of patients, service users, and carers, but can include qualitative and/or quantitative methods. The chapter divides participatory research into four categories that represent different ways of working with participants: co-production; action research; service user-controlled research; and citizen science. The co-production model in health care research usually describes working with at least two distinct interest groups: service users and service providers. In co-production, the researcher's role is often one of facilitating processes, and mediating between different perspectives and interests, as well as managing and analysing data.