Involving service users as co-learners in research about quality improvement, interprofessional education and back pain: The service user perspective
2012 Conference
Abstract: Personal experience of service users who are involved in research is rarely reported in study findings. We describe an exploration of service user involvement that builds on a larger study evaluating an interprofessional educational initiative. Specifically primary health care teams worked alongside service users to learn about quality improvement and implementation.
Semi structured interviews with nine service users were analysed thematically. Findings revealed themes of:
- “A feeling of togetherness”
- “It’s the way you tell ‘em”
- “Really wanting to make change”.
These themes lead to new ways of thinking about the impact of user involvement on the service user.
We hope that people will learn that: Involving service users in research can lead to attitudinal and behavioural change in relation to the value of service user involvement in clinical practice. Important features included: renewed understanding, the importance of time to listen, and the gains from “being on the other side”.
Key issues we will raise: We need to be prepared to embrace and utilise the wealth of knowledge and experience held by service users and encourage them to take the lead in influencing change. It is important that we know about what service users think, feel or care.
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Authors
Carr ~ Eloise
Eloise Carr is Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Canada. A nurse by background, she is strongly committed to improving pain management through collaborative research and practice. Her pain research interests include postoperative pain management, back pain and interprofessional education.
View all articles by this authorLittle ~ Chris
Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University. Chris has a nursing background and is also a qualified acupuncturist. Her particular interests are in integrative health care as well as issues related to the promotion of the patient’s right to self-determination in health care. Chris’s methodological expertise is in hermeneutic phenomenology and other qualitative approaches.
View all articles by this authorRyan ~ Kath
Research Director, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Kath Ryan is a registered pharmacist with expertise in qualitative methods and the use of narrative in health research. Her interests include health consumer perspectives and experiences, information gathering, evaluation and decision-making; social inequalities in health, and the sociology of health and illness.
View all articles by this authorWorswick ~ Louise
Louise Worswick is a researcher at the School of Health and Social Care at Bournemouth University. Louise has expertise in qualitative research including focus group and interview methods. A PhD student and former health service manager and clinician, her interests are quality improvement, primary care and service user involvement. Her doctoral research explores the experiences of service users involved in health research.
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