Patient and public involvement
NIHR Community Healthcare MedTech and In vitro diagnostics Co-operative is proud to work with members of the public across all of its themes and at all levels, helping to ensure that our research is grounded in issues that matter to patients and society.
Our public members not only help steer and govern our work but they also help with additional input such as presenting our findings at academic conferences and helping us to develop our website and newsletter.
By public involvement we mean an active partnership between the public and researchers in the research process, not simply people being the subjects of research.
When we use the term 'public' we use the INVOLVE definition which include patients, potential patients, carers and people who use health services as well as people from organisations that represent people who use services.
Patient and Public Involvement contributors can make a difference to health research by:
- identifying new topics for research and ensuring that topics are relevant to patients, carers and members of the public
- making sure that researchers ask the right questions and in a way that the public understand
- keeping the research on track so that it stays relevant
- making sure the people being researched are approached in the right way
- improving the quality of the research by adding another point of view to the design and way that the research is carried out.
Sign up for Involvement Matters monthly e-bulletin where you will learn about a range of ways in which the public can support health initiatives in research and beyond throughout the Thames Valley and even nationally. This would include any new opportunities to be involved in the NIHR Community Healthcare MedTech and In vitro diagnostics Co-operative.
Contact us
If you are interested in getting involved, please contact ch-mic@phc.ox.ac.uk, or apply to become one of our patient and public contributors.
Our strategy
Involving patients and the public is integral to our working and ensures our activities address community healthcare issues relevant to the public, patients and their carers.
Upcoming events
Diagnostics for Early Cancer Detection Workshop (Exact Date TBC with participants)
Tuesday, 02 May 2023
This online workshop will provide the opportunity for developers of early cancer detection diagnostics to have focussed discussions with researchers from the NIHR Community Healthcare MIC and its strategic partners who have expertise in early cancer detection. Developers will receive immediate advice from the team, and we will discuss the potential to take technologies forward into joint funding applications.
Share your ideas for us to research
New types of tests are becoming available which can be used by GPs to get answers straight away to help them diagnose or monitor illness. For example, a doctor could take a drop of blood from a patient’s finger, carry out a blood test, and the results would be available in a few minutes during the consultation. However, little is known about which tests and technologies patients feel would make a real difference to their care. WE need your help to understand which tests patients would benefit most from.
- Do you currently go to the hospital for a test that you wish could be done at the doctors?
- Do you feel that you wait a long time for the results of some tests and you would have better care if the nurse or doctor knew the result straight away?
- Do you have a condition that you wish there was a test for knowing when it might get worse?
- Do you have an idea for how your treatment could be improved by using a test?
- Do you wish there was a gadget you could use to help monitor your health?
Case study
RUNNING AN ONGOING PATIENT & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GROUP
Philip Turner has been facilitating a patient and public involvement group for the NIHR Diagnostic Evidence Co-operative and the newly launched Community Healthcare MIC for several years. Read about how the public contributed to the programme.