Steps to embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion principles into research settings

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Education
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles are crucial for fostering inclusive environments within the National Health Service (NHS) and its research infrastructure.
• Tailored, in-person staff training on EDI topics promotes team building, social understanding, and collaboration.
• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) members collaborated with staff to co-design and deliver EDI training, ensuring relevance and impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the implementation and impact of an EDI initiative at King's Clinical Research Facility (CRF).
• To assess the effectiveness of co-produced, in-person staff training on EDI topics.
• To evaluate the role of PPI members in developing and delivering EDI training.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was used, including initial surveys to identify training priorities and assess staff knowledge/confidence.
• An EDI working group, including PPI members, was formed to co-design training content.
• Co-designed training sessions were delivered over nine months, followed by a 12-month impact assessment survey.

Main Results:

• Initial surveys identified key training priorities: Raising Concerns Comfortably, Cultural Intelligence, Trans* Awareness and Unconscious Bias, and Health Inequalities.
• Post-training, significant increases in confidence in raising concerns (95.5%) and improved cultural awareness (95.3%) were reported.
• Participants noted challenges in applying newly acquired knowledge, indicating a need for ongoing reinforcement and support.

Conclusions:

• Co-produced EDI training is valuable in research settings, enhancing staff confidence and awareness.
• Interactive learning, reflection, and sustained engagement are vital for creating inclusive research environments.
• The initiative highlights the successful integration of PPI in developing impactful EDI training programs.