Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is increasingly recognized for its ethical and practical importance in healthcare research. At the 20th European Doctoral Conference in Nursing Science (EDCNS) in Graz, Austria, held from September 20th-21st, 2024, experts discussed how PPI enhances the quality and relevance of healthcare studies (Heckemann, 2024). This blog highlights key lessons from the conference, illustrating why PPI is crucial and how it can be effectively implemented in various healthcare contexts.

In her keynote, Associate Professor Heckemann provided insights into the current state of PPI in Europe, emphasizing growing demands from funders and policymakers for its integration in research. However, she noted significant variability in PPI implementation across European healthcare systems. Integrating PPI can be challenging due to the complexities it introduces at different stages of research projects from design to dissemination (Heckemann, 2024).

Heckemann outlined the following key aspects of PPI:

• Why: PPI improves research relevance and quality, aligning studies more closely with patient and community needs.
• What: PPI encompasses various activities, ranging from consultation to full co-production, allowing for different levels of public engagement.
• How: Successful PPI requires researchers to develop specific skills and adhere to ethical guidelines to maintain collaboration throughout all phases of research.

By sharing practical resources and strategies for engaging in PPI, Heckemann encouraged researchers to incorporate PPI into their projects, highlighting its potential benefits despite inherent challenges (Heckemann, 2024).

The EDCNS discussions highlighted the evolving significance of PPI in healthcare research. Integrating PPI allows for ethically sound, patient-centered studies, necessitating flexibility, cultural awareness, and ethical rigor (Batool et al., 2024). For researchers interested in PPI, the conference presentations offer a roadmap for making healthcare research more inclusive and impactful. Transitioning from conducting studies on patients to actively engaging them is not just an ethical imperative; it is crucial for achieving higher-quality research outcomes (Batool et al., 2024).

References:

Batool, S., Suhonen, R., Gul, B., & Stolt, M. (2024). Ethical Contemplations: Patient and Public Involvement in Randomized Controlled Trials within Cancer Care Research. Presentation, 20th European Doctoral Conference in Nursing Science, Graz, Austria.

Heckemann, B. (2024). Unpacking a buzzword: Patient and Public Involvement in Healthcare Research. Keynote Presentation, 20th European Doctoral Conference in Nursing Science, Graz, Austria.

Image: Iancu, M. (n.d.). People crowd pavement public place. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/people-crowd-pavement-public-place-7367360/

Shumaila Batool, Doctoral Researcher

Department of Nursing Science

University of Turku, Finland