Evidence Library

Abstract: Aim: To explore whether researchers attitudes have shifted following recent changes in policy and practice around public involvement and engagement. Methods: Interviews with 19 researchers at three Biomedical Research Centres funded by the National Institute for Health Research. Findings/ recommendations: The participants were clear about the distinction between engagement and involvement. There was greater support for engagement in terms of communicating research findings to the public and promoting a greater understanding of science. Views on involvement were more mixed. Some health researchers commented that involvement led to better research through asking better questions, developing more appropriate designs and outcome measures, and increasing the likelihood of the findings being implemented. However, many were disinterested, seeing involvement as a tick-box exercise only necessary to meet funding requirements. Laboratory-based researchers tended to be hostile to involvement, concluding that patients are not in a position to design and influence highly technical studies, without being researchers themselves. The authors conclude that overall researchers’ attitudes have not shifted significantly and many are still resistant to sharing power and control.

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Categories: health
public health
social care
nature and extent of public involvement in research
reflecting on public involvement in research
journal article

Date Entered: 2014/11/05

Date Edited: 2014/11/05