Gathering the evidence: The impact of public involvement in research on a study on approaching the end of life in care homes

2008 Conference

This collaborative poster will report on methods we are developing to reflect on and evaluate the impact of public involvement in a study which is exploring the experiences and expectations of older people resident in care homes, their care workers and professionals of end of life care. The study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research through the Research for Patient Benefit programme. Older members of a Public Involvement in Research Group are on the study’s Steering Group, involved in the research process, including the introductory meetings with the care homes and facilitating focus groups with residents and care staff. We are particularly interested in learning whether the inclusion of older lay members in this sensitive study will enhance data collection, as there is evidence to suggest that qualitative research, such as interviews and focus groups, between perceived peers can produce more open and honest responses from participants.
Our poster will outline our proposals to gather evidence for the impact of public involvement on this study through the use of reflective diaries and recorded notes of meetings. It will assess what we have learnt so far and look at possible implications for researchers, lay members, resources and funders.