Developing a PPI strategy: Coordinating efforts at a strategic, speciality and study level

2014 Conference

Abstract: A range of speciality-specific patient and public involvement (PPI) groups have been active across our NHS Trust for some time. However, we recognised that improving coordination and expanding the spread of good practice would benefit our researchers and our patients while also supporting existing groups.

So we developed a new PPI strategy to increase involvement of patients and the public in all aspects of research – in supporting us at a strategic, speciality and study level.

Our strategy included:

• Creating the ‘Take Part Be Involved’ brand
• Redevelopment of our research pages on our hospital internet site (developed in consultation with local research patient group and Service User Group)
• Creating a patient review panel for our small grant scheme ‘Springboard’ so that patients and the public are involved in prioritising which studies are funded
• Establishing a generic patient panel so all researchers can access a patient/public opinion on their study development/patient information
• Creating a research video aimed at patients and published onto the hospital website and Youtube
• Distributing Take Part Be Involved literature in all outpatient letters and across the hospital
• Undertaking a mystery shop to find out how accessible our information about research was to patients
• Developing a patient focused research newsletter
• Including a research option at patient check-in

The presentation will include what we did, what we learnt along the way and what we are planning next. We do provide feedback to patients/public on the impact they have had, and are particularly interested in prompting discussion about this.