[Participatory research with personas - An empirical method for practice-oriented health research]

Participation is a key element of practice-oriented innovation projects. At the same time, there is a growing interest among researchers, healthcare providers, and experts by experience in acquiring the relevant methodological skills. However, there is a lack of specific scientific descriptions, for example regarding a systematic presentation of the persona method in participatory contexts. The persona method offers a fictional, evidence-based representation of user perspectives and illustrates their needs, expectations, and contexts. It promotes transparency and a shared understanding within teams through narrative, creative, and visual elements. Personas integrate the collective experiential knowledge of experts without requiring individuals to disclose their personal experience, which is a particular advantage when working with vulnerable groups. This allows needs to be captured in a context-specific and comprehensive manner without compromising the anonymity of those involved. The persona method therefore holds potential for participatory research in healthcare but is susceptible to biases, particularly through stereotypical simplifications. A participatory, reflective development process can counteract these risks, but it requires methodological expertise, sufficient resources, and a critical examination of the underlying assumptions. The reflection questions presented in this article can assist research teams with the development and use of personas.