Evidence Library

Abstract: Aim: To find out about the views of academics and members of the public on the practicalities of involving older people in ageing research. Methods: An electronic survey of senior academics and postgraduate students in a Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), and of a local user group for older people. Findings/ recommendations: About a third of the projects relating to ageing within the BRC were involving older people. Academics and older people agreed that the most likely benefit of involvement was ensuring that the research is relevant. The older people were more positive about the potential for involvement than the academics. The academics questioned the relevance of involvement to biomedical research and thought it was difficult to organise. The authors held a joint meeting with the postgraduate students and the older people’s group to discuss the findings of the survey and its implications. Based on the success of this meeting, they concluded that more collaborative educational sessions for academics and older people could help with developing practical ways to involve people and increase researchers’ awareness of the benefits.

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Categories: health
public health
social care
reflecting on public involvement in research
journal article

Date Entered: 2015/07/06

Date Edited: 2015/07/06