Patient and Public Involvement in Dermatology Research: A Review

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Health Services Research
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) is defined as research conducted collaboratively with patients and the public.
• Dermatology research, due to its significant psychosocial impact, can greatly benefit from PPI to integrate patient lived experiences.
• PPI is increasingly integrated across the entire research lifecycle, from initial design to dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the principles of PPI in research.
• To examine the evidence base of PPI across different research stages in dermatology.
• To identify the impact and challenges of implementing PPI in dermatology.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing evidence on PPI in dermatology research.
• Analysis of PPI's integration and impact at each stage of the research lifecycle.
• Scrutiny of challenges encountered during PPI implementation in dermatology.

Main Results:

• PPI is recognized as vital for ensuring dermatology research relevance to patient populations.
• Dermatology's unique psychosocial implications make it well-suited to benefit from PPI.
• Evidence of PPI's effectiveness and impact across the research lifecycle in dermatology is examined.

Conclusions:

• PPI is crucial for making dermatology research more relevant and impactful.
• Harnessing patient lived experiences through PPI can lead to better therapeutic consequences.
• Addressing the challenges of PPI implementation is key to maximizing its benefits in dermatology research.