Patient and public involvement to support liver disease research

Patient and public involvement (PPI) has become increasingly important to ensure the needs of patients are fully considered when they participate in clinical trials. Most funders now require a plan for PPI in grant applications. When fully embraced and correctly implemented, PPI adds an important dimension to clinical trials, and its continuing development is critical if we are to maintain the public's support for clinical research. The development of a PPI panel for the National Institute for Health Research Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research Unit (NIHR BRU) has helped to: promote research locally and nationally; improve recruitment to and participation in trials; promote public engagement and education activities; and improve the quality and relevance of consent forms and information sheets for participants. The NIHR BRU has the support of a PPI panel which constantly champions the research being undertaken to the wider community. This paper describes how the panel was established and why it is so effective.