Julliet’s session [pictured] explored how PPI activities provide opportunities for patients, carers, and members of the public to inform, influence, and shape research, while highlighting both the benefits and challenges of involving patients and the public in basic, preclinical, and laboratory-based studies. In the blog below, Julliet shares her reflections on the session:
“At some point in your career, you will be asked about your plans for involving patients and the public in the planning, design, and development of your research.
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is encouraged and expected in all areas of medical research, and most UK funders of medical research now require a detailed PPI plan to be submitted as part of grant applications.
It was really encouraging to hear from attendees that they are aware of the benefits of patient and public involvement in research, and that many have experience of conducting PPI activities. Researchers have better access to information and resources than ever before. However, many participants also highlighted the challenges of conducting PPI in preclinical research.
PPI in basic, preclinical, and laboratory-based research is an underrepresented area that the Oxford Cancer PPI Team is currently focused on supporting. These disciplines, which are often not directly patient or public-facing, can sometimes seem harder to explain in lay terms and may feel too distant from people’s lived experience to benefit from patient and public input.
Yet, precisely because basic science researchers do not often communicate directly with patients and members of the public, PPI can provide an important reminder of, and connection to, the wider context in which their research sits.
As well as improving the quality and relevance of this research, PPI can help non-clinical researchers gain a better understanding of what really matters to people. It is often easy to assume that we know what people feel, face, and need. PPI can help ensure that research is grounded in the lived experiences of patients, and therefore more relevant and impactful to those at risk of cancer or who are receiving treatment.
Furthermore, PPI can be motivating and encouraging for researchers. It provides an opportunity to talk to and listen to people who are genuinely interested in your research. It also offers a chance to raise awareness of the impact, value, and importance of preclinical and basic research as a key foundational pillar of modern healthcare among people who are often only exposed to the end product of the research pipeline.
I hope that the session helped to highlight that PPI can offer numerous benefits for researchers, research outputs, and patients alike. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of PPI for your own research, visit our PPI for Researchers pages on our website.”
