The BRC expects investigators wherever possible to actively involve patients and the public in their research. Evidence of involving patients and the public in the planning, design, management and/or dissemination of research is increasingly a requirement of major funding bodies in the UK, as well as an expectation of research ethics committees.
Read more about our vision in our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Strategy.
What you can get out of involving the public in your research
The active involvement of patients and the public in research can lead to treatments that better meet the needs of users and the public, and research results that are more likely to be put into practice.
Researchers who make the involvement of users and the public an inherent part of their research also gain a huge source of practical help and solutions. Hover over the tiles below to see how patients and the public can help with your studies:
Helping you to identify and prioritise the most relevant research questions for people living with the condition you are studying.
Including the perspectives of patients and the public will strengthen your proposal to major funders, who often have lay representatives on their review panel.
Answering important questions about how acceptable and feasible your research methods are for the patients or public members who will be recruited.
Helping you to communicate your research in plain English in your grant application, patient information leaflets, and dissemination materials.
Connecting you with different communities of patients, to participate in your research, or share research results.
Joining a steering committee to help with managing the study, advising on recruitment and retention, collecting data from patients and dissemination of findings.
Research shows that involving patients and the public results in more relevant, higher quality research, that is more likely to receive funding.
