Adapting Patient and Public Involvement processes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic imposed significant challenges on research, particularly for Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) activities, due to movement restrictions and health risks.
• The shift to online PPI consultations during the pandemic presented both new challenges and opportunities for engaging the public in research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and reflect on the adaptation of PPI methods for the ESORT Study from face-to-face to fully online engagement.
• To explore the experiences and perspectives of PPI partners and researchers during the transition to online consultations.

Main Methods:

• Modified all planned face-to-face PPI components to an online format for the ESORT Study evaluating emergency surgery.
• Collected first-hand accounts to document the development, experience, and views of PPI processes from various partners.

Main Results:

• Online PPI consultations demonstrated benefits, including increased participation opportunities and a democratizing effect on meetings.
• The online environment potentially encourages broader demographic involvement, positively impacting PPI processes and outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Online PPI methods can offer significant advantages, though methodological challenges related to representation and inclusion must be addressed.
• Learning from this period is crucial as online engagement may become a more prominent method for PPI in future research.