1. Why should I involve people who use services in research & development?
There are many reasons for involving people who use services in in R&D.
We outline some of them below. You can find more information about
why it is
important to involve the public in our publication "Involving the public in NHS, public health and social care research: Briefing Notes for Researchers".
Being clear about why you want to involve people who use services will help you
to identify who it is appropriate to involve and how best to involve
them.
People who use services will be able to offer different perspectives. You may be an expert in your field, but that does not mean to say you can see all the perspectives on what occurs in the area of your research interest
People who use services can help to ensure that issues that are identified and prioritised are important to them and therefore to health care, public health and social care services as a whole.
Public involvement can
help to ensure that money and resources
aren’t wasted on research that has little or no relevance.
People who use services can help to ensure that research doesn’t
just measure outcomes that are identified and considered important
by professionals.
People who use services can help with the recruitment of
their peers for research projects.
People who use services can help access people who are often marginalised,
such as people from black and minority ethnic communities.
People who use services
can help to disseminate the results of research and work to ensure that
changes are implemented.
Involvement in research, done well, can help empower people who use services.
The involvement of consumers is also
becoming an increasing political priority.
2. Why do members of the public choose to get involved in R&D?
People who use services may have a number of reasons for wanting to get involved
in R&D:
to improve treatment services for themselves and those who come
after them
for many people research may be a means to an end and they are
likely to want to know what will happen as a result of research
to identify problems related to the treatment or service they are
offered
to influence the research agenda in a way that makes research
more effective
to identify gaps in knowledge related to specific
treatments or
conditions which they feel need research
to ensure that the issues
which are a priority for people are addressed
to ensure that
future R&D is relevant to the needs of a specific
group of people
to identify existing research which is not being
disseminated or implemented, which could improve treatments
or services
to ensure that R&D is undertaken in an ethical way
When you seek to involve the public in a research project, it
is important to understand their reasons for wanting to become
involved, as
well as explaining your reasons for wanting to involve them.
