| Stage of research |
How can consumers become involved? |
| Identifying and prioritising research topics
e.g. Deciding what to research
|
- Help identify topics based on what consumers feel is important and based off experiences.
- Make sure the proposal is needed and important.
- To review the early stages of a project before it gets underway to provide thoughts and feedback.
|
| Designing the research
e.g. Deciding how to do it
|
- Make sure the research methods are appropriate e.g. is the questionnaire appropriate and easy to understand, what do consumers think about the language? Is it clear?
- Help ensure the research question is relevant.
- Help with recruitment plans.
- Is it ethical? Does it consider the wellbeing of those who take part? Consider costs or potential difficulties.
|
| Developing funding proposals
|
- Ensure methods are ethical.
- Advise where patients should be involved.
- Help with plain language summaries.
- Identify the right tools for the research.
- Awareness around cost and reimbursement.
|
| Review funding applications
|
- Provide feedback (strengths and weaknesses).
- Determine the need and important of a project.
- Determine changes in proposals to better support consumers.
- Help determine which proposal should be funded.
|
| Data collection and data analysis
e.g. Doing it
|
- Provide perspective on the data.
- Ensure consumer involvement is appropriately funded, used and supported.
- Advise on improving the study.
- Help analyse the data.
- Share perspective through an advisory role e.g. consumer advisory group.
- Reviewing documents.
- Conducting interview and focus groups.
- Developing questionnaires, diagrams and documents for patients.
- Develop ideas and themes from the data.
- Ensure the patients perspective is seen and understood by health professionals.
- Contribute through surveys (e.g. written, phone, email and face-to-face).
|
| Dissemination
e.g. Sharing! Letting people know the results
|
- Help devise a plan to share the results and provide advice on this.
- Help share the results and promote the study.
- Present the results alongside researchers.
- Help promote the research to other groups.
- Review and contribute to journal articles for publication.
|
| Implementation
|
- Help bring it to life by generating ideas to put the research into action.
- Develop tools to help explain the research and what it means for practice going forward.
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| Deciding what to research next
|
- Help provide recommendations on the next steps.
- Evaluate the study and process.
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