A survival guide to research teams: A patient participant’s story

2014 Conference

Abstract: The presentation will explore how roles and relationships are negotiated within the research team which pioneered the innovative ‘THINKsafe’ approach to patient safety.

The presentation is delivered from the viewpoint of a patient participant and deals firstly with the participant’s background and the reasons for involvement. The learning curve necessary to enable a full assimilation into the team is presented in an informal, humorous way as ‘Green’s Taxonomy of Patient Involvement’ and covers the steep learning curve from first contact to greater involvement.

The ‘lessons learned’ during this three and a half year project are outlined; these include the need to be involved from the beginning of the project, how roles need to be negotiated within the team, the dangers of tokenism, the need for training and the over riding importance of a sense of humour.

Lastly there is a summation of the ‘next steps’ which include starting a new research project as a lead patient participant and the early stages of setting up an informal patient participant group to enhance the work of patient participants in research teams.

The issues of how to involve patient participants in research teams is explored together with a personal account of one participant’s journey through a research project and the impact that has had both on the research team and at a personal level.