Using short films to engage people in healthcare research and improvement

2012 Conference

Abstract: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership and Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for Northwest London facilitates the involvement of patients in evidence based quality improvement. A panel of ten patient and community representatives watched fifteen short films produced by healthcare research and improvement teams. We asked the panel six questions to understand how well each team communicated their work to a public audience and what meaning the panellists derived from the funded project and the level of innovation and patient benefit being portrayed.

The voting panel enabled us to get a much better understanding of what matters to patients. This activity demonstrates the level of support required by research and improvement teams to communicate in a way that people can understand. We will share lessons about the planning and preparation required to deliver the voting opportunity together with specific panellist comments which can inform researchers who need to communicate with the public.

We would invite the audience to discuss:

• How patients can help researchers and healthcare staff to find a level of communication that can lead to further engagement.
• The benefits of working with small groups of people over time to enhance shared understanding.