PPI - Being practical

Karen Croucher, Research Fellow, Centre for Housing Policy

Ceri Owen, Expert by Experience

• Make a plan• Recruitment of participants• Barriers to participation• Enabling participation• Practical tips for meetings• Travel and access

Make a plan

• Why are you asking patients and/or “lay” people to become involved?

• How is this involvement going to inform your project?

• What exactly will you ask people to do?• When?• What resources will you need?• TIME – your time and participants’ time

Recruitment• What information will participants need?• Ensuring diversity and representation of marginalised or

hard-to-reach groups? • Where will you find participants?– PPI website– Local Research Networks– Existing patient networks and support groups– Voluntary sector and community groups– Community “advertising”– NHS premises - GP surgeries, OP clinics, hospitals– Other service providers: chiropodists, dentists, opticians,

pharmacists, housing providers– Snowballing– Social media?– Recruitment agencies

Barriers to participation

• Confidence• Time • Expenses and other resources• Language• Literacy skills• Disability or impairment• Concerns about confidentiality and

disclosure

Enabling participation

• Communication• Ask participants what works best for them

and what they are comfortable with.• Information in different/appropriate

formats • Training & support to develop new skills• Named researcher/s as first point of

contact• Keep in touch: updates, findings,

dissemination etc

Meetings

• Feeling welcome and comfortable–Where?–When?– Space, light, acoustics–Mobility and access– Orientation– Pacing– Refreshments– Information prior to the day

Access

• Information and clear directions• Contact phone number• Do participants need a travelling

companion/carer to accompany them?• Do they need someone to meet them at

the station/bus stop/taxi drop-off, car park?

• Booking and arranging transport• Paying for travel

THANK YOU!