Perspectives on a student-stroke survivor research collaboration
2014 Conference
Abstract: Four speech and language therapy dissertation students at the University of East Anglia and seven stroke survivors with aphasia have formed a research partnership, the Aphasia Research Collaboration (ARC). The group is supported by a lecturer and a patient and public involvement (PPI) experienced carer mentor. Members of ARC have worked together to develop a research focus, resulting in two independent studies. They have successfully taken these through Ethics and are now collecting data.
We present our experiences of working together on study identification, ethics application and field work practices. We discuss our use of a reflective tool (ALPS) to help understand and support involvement of team members and group dynamics.
The aim is to demonstrate how a collaborative project can work and the importance of close working relationships between members. For example barriers to service user involvement arising from research systems or speech and language difficulties needed to be addressed; data collection methods needed to be refined. The audience will have a chance to discuss the key role played by service users in identifying the study topics, focusing on what is important for individuals with aphasia.
Delegates will learn about different types of data collection methods, including qualitative reflective accounts, online surveys, and the use of interviews, coconstructed by students and service users. This innovative piece of work demonstrates how we are being trained in PPI in our first ever research projects, and learning how to involve service users in a research collaboration, and the benefits of this to the quality of our research.
Authors
Horton ~ Simon
Simon Horton is a speech and language therapist by background; he is now a researcher and teacher at the University of East Anglia. He has a long-standing collaboration with the Norfolk Conversation Partner trainers group (stroke survivors with aphasia).
View all articles by this authorWellings ~ Amander
Amander Wellings is a lifelong carer for people with numerous mental and physical health conditions. As a voluntary member of PPIRes (Patient and public involvement in research - Norfolk and Suffolk) she has been involved in all aspects of patient and public involvement in research for over a decade. She is currently an INVOLVE Group member and sits on the East of England Research for Patient Benefit Advisory Group. She is a member of the National Institute for Health Research Learning and Development Working Group.
View all articles by this author« Go back
