Patient and Public Involvement in Social Pharmacy Research

Abstract

Contemporary approaches to patient and public involvement (PPI) in research means carrying out studies ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public (including patients, potential patients and carers) rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them. Such involvement is central to much health research policy. For example, the National Institute for Health Research in the UK and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute in the USA require meaningful PPI in applications to their funding programmes. PPI could bring into the research process, for example, the expertise of people living with a chronic disease for many years or the voices of taxpayers as the new treatments to be investigated by a national health service. It can mean involving members of the public in priority-setting, helping with aspects of study design such as recruitment or in the dissemination of research findings to public audiences. However, it is challenging for researchers who have never organised PPI to see how they can involve nonresearchers in their studies in such a way that it is meaningful for both parties and not merely “lip service” to the concept. Aims of the workshop: This workshop aims to introduce participants to the conduct of PPI in social pharmacy research and co-develop ways to employ PPI during the initial design of the study, throughout its conduct and in its dissemination to a range of audiences. It will do this by presentations from the workshop facilitators and by learning from the experiences of the workshop participants. Learning Objectives: After attending the workshop, participants should be able to: 1. Describe key areas where PPI is feasible in social pharmacy research and how it might be the best approach to certain study phenomena. 2Describe potential ways of organising meaningful PPI in their own research area. 3. Discuss ways in which problems and dilemmas might be addressed. 4. Begin planning PPI for the design, conduct and/or dissemination of their next social pharmacy research study or grant. Description of Workshop Activities: In keeping with the ethos of PPI, this session will be highly interactive, involving workshop participants as “the public” who have a stake in this research, and using vignettes of research ideas for discussion. Introductions and ice-breaker on what experience the group members have had with PPI in their research, formally or informally (other than as research subjects). (10minutes). Patient and public involvement in health services and social pharmacy research (presentation by workshop leaders) (15 minutes). 25 minutes Group work to identify some of the potential ways in which researchers can employ PPI in the design of research (10 minutes). 35 minutes Feedback from working groups (15 minutes). 50 minutes Group work to identify some of the potential ways in which researchers can employ PPI in the conduct and dissemination of research (15 minutes). 65 minutes Feedback from working groups (15 minutes). 80 minutes -General discussion and summarising (10 minutes). 90 minutes -Close of session. Participants may request copies of the group outputs after the conference.