Tell us about your project
My PPI group contribute to research at the departmental level, and supports a number of academics, postgraduate researchers and students with project proposals across a spectrum of projects within the department of musculoskeletal and ageing science. The projects range from pre-clinical models of musculoskeletal disease through to translational research using samples from people with arthritis (e.g. blood and cartilage samples). We discuss projects across a spectrum of MSK disorders including osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue disease and diseases of muscular aging such as sarcopenia.
How did you involve people?
PwA are involved at the development stage of grant applications, reviewing project ideas in the development phase in a group setting. We also have the opportunity to pair a researcher with a PwA for specific grant applications to help refine project priorities and work packages, and when grants are funded our patient partners continue to meet with the researchers to review project progress and research directions. PwA are also involved in reviewing lay abstracts for projects and reviewing participant information sheets for clinical studies.
We also provide opportunities for our master’s and postgraduate students to give flash talks on their research to our PPI group. This provides valuable training to our students as well as giving the PwA a broader understanding of the research that takes place in our department.
We recently co-produced two leaflets in the “behind disease” series with our patient partners, and these explain the biology behind two different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Our leaflets can be accessed here.
How did you find people to involve in your project?
We find people through public engagement events. I have spoken to several public groups in the local area, and we undertake PE activities throughout the year.
How did you support people in your project?
We support people through group meetings, participation in which is re-imbursed at INVOLVE recommended guidelines. We are also working with the Institute and Faculty PPI teams to develop training support for our patient partners.
What impact did it have?
We have received excellent albeit informal feedback from researchers and PwA about these activities although we have not developed a way to evaluate PPI formally. The institute and faculty PPI teams are developing these tools.
What tips would you give another researcher?
Speak to people in your institute who are already doing PPI, but do this early in your project development. PPI needs to take place 6-12 months before you submit your grant application.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge is funding for PPI activities. There is no external funding for pre-award PPI and this is a huge challenge as the university has extremely limited budgets for these types of activities.
Another huge challenge for our researchers working in pre-clinical science is connecting to PwA. We do not have any clinical academics in our department and so we do not easily have a route to access PwA through the local hospital.