Study Protocol for the PARTICIPATE Project: Co-Creating Resources for Public Engagement in Maternity Care Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
• Maternity Care Audits

Background:

• Public and patient involvement (PPI) is crucial for health research and service development.
• Irish national guidance supports PPI in audits, but implementation in maternity care lacks evidence.
• The PARTICIPATE Project addresses this gap by examining PPI awareness and barriers in Irish maternity clinical audits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore awareness and barriers to PPI in maternity clinical audits in Ireland.
• To co-create accessible resources that support PPI engagement.
• To establish sustainable PPI panels for ongoing collaboration with a national clinical audit centre.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study led by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre, using participatory principles.
• Phase 1: National online survey on public awareness, interest, and barriers to PPI in maternity clinical audit.
• Phase 2: Co-design sessions for user-informed PPI resources. Phase 3: Creation of PPI panels for audit centre collaboration.

Main Results:

• The study will identify key barriers and facilitators to PPI in maternity clinical audits.
• Co-designed resources will be developed to enhance PPI engagement.
• Sustainable PPI panels will be established for continuous collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The project will provide practical guidance for embedding PPI in maternity clinical audits.
• Co-produced resources and long-term engagement structures will foster inclusive audit practices.
• This initiative aims to enhance public confidence in the maternity care system.