Evidence Library

Abstract:

The author takes on the perpsective of a patient to explore what he would like from health research and researchers. He concludes that health researchers could serve the interests of the public more effectively and could be helped to do so by greater lay involvement in research.

He also reflects on his knowledge of 20 years of lay contributions to research in pregnancy and childbirth to give examples of where involvement has had an impact on:

• the research question
  
• outcome measures - to ensure they are of importance to patients
  
• trial protocols
  
• recruitment to trials
  
• interpretation of the results of a trial and their implications
  
• clinical practice and future research

He concludes there should be greater lay involvement more generally, and particularly in setting the research agenda and identifying which questions are worth addresssing.

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Categories: health
Identifying topics, prioritising and commissioning
Designing research
Analysing and interpreting
impact on funding/commissioning
impact on research
impact on research ethics
impact on implementation and change
impact of public involvement
reflecting on public involvement in research
journal article
Recruitment
Implementation and change

Date Entered: 2007/02/27