Evidence Library

Abstract:

Aim: To assess the benefits of involving health-care users in diabetes research by evaluating the impact of the Warwick Diabetes Care Research User Group.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with researchers who had worked with the Group. Group members also discussed their views of the group's effectiveness at a number of their regular meetings.

Findings/recommendations: The study showed the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of this longstanding, experienced group. Its impact largely stems from the continuing interaction between researchers and users, and the general ethos of learning from each other in an ongoing process.

Specific benefits of the group's involvement were identified as:

• adding value by forcing researchers to address why they want to conduct their research in the first place and focusing their minds on making a difference to service users
• adding credibility to proposals (usually) making them more likely to be funded
• making changes to research protocols, questionnaires and patient information to make them more practical, relevant and accessible.

The author concludes that the greatest benefit of involving the User Group? was being able to make continued use of their experiential knowledge throughout all stages of research.

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Related entry: none currently available

Categories: health
Identifying topics, prioritising and commissioning
Designing research
Analysing and interpreting
Writing up and disseminating
impact on funding/commissioning
impact on research
impact on researchers
impact of public involvement
journal article
Recruitment

Date Entered: 2009/01/27

Date Edited: 2012/11/20