Establishment of a competence office for patient involvement (PPI Office) at a German university hospital

In recent years, the involvement of patient representatives has become increasingly important in the planning, conduct, and communication of clinical trials. Their participation is expected to improve the relevance of research questions, strengthen recruitment, enhance feasibility and patient compliance, and foster public trust in research.

The Coordination Center for Clinical Trials (KKS) in Heidelberg identified a need for structured support regarding participation processes and therefore established a "Competence Office for Patient Participation" (PPI Office, PPI = public and patient involvement). The PPI Office acts as a central service structure for clinical researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University (MFHD). It complements existing structures, such as patient advisory boards, and is independent of specific departments or indication areas. The PPI Office consolidates a wide range of services related to patient involvement. These include the development of fact sheets, training activities for patient representatives and researchers, establishing a pool of trained patient representatives, providing a contract template, and offering consulting services for researchers.

The "Competence Office for Patient Participation" (PPI Office) is a newly established and valuable institution at UKHD and MFHD that supports clinical researchers in all aspects of patient involvement. This article shares experiences and aims to provide guidance for other institutions planning to set up similar support structures.