Written by Richard Morley. Richard is Cochrane’s Consumer Engagement Officer and chair of the International PPI Network working group: linkedin.com/in/richard-morley-5112a653
It’s the start of a new year, and if you’re like me, you will be filled with a sense of optimism and excitement about what 2024 might offer, but perhaps also daunted by the scale of challenges facing the world.
On the optimistic front I’m so very excited to see the launch of the new website from the International PPI Network. As chair of the working group that has established the Network, it was thrilling to see this launched. The website is a visible expression of the intent that the founders had: to help bring people together across the globe to share expertise and knowledge and promote patient and public involvement in health and social care research. We believe that this involvement produces better and more relevant research resulting in services and treatments that patients and the public need.
Since its launch in 2017 the Network has been active, defining its objectives, building a community, holding in-person and online meetings, and notably, hosting a series of popular webinars, in partnership with Cochrane, on a wide range of topics. I’m grateful to the funders of the network and to the volunteers who have contributed so enthusiastically to all of this activity. We are currently putting together another webinar series for 2024, as well as exploring other ways we can share knowledge and information on public involvement, so please do look out for further announcements in 2024.
The website allows us to do more: to extend our global community, and to offer practical support, all with the aim of deepening our understanding and practice of involvement in those parts of the world where it’s already happening and nurturing it in places where it’s not yet common practice. I firmly believe that this is a matter of urgency, key to ensuring that research equitably meets the needs people across the world, is widely trusted and used, and results in improvements that address global health challenges.
During 2023 I’ve been privileged to be part of a range of activities that demonstrate the possibilities of working collaboratively on these issues, and the change that is underway. I’ll highlight just three: the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges has been working, amongst other things, to put evidence at the centre of everyday life and thinking about how best to engage citizens in asking questions and answering them. I was also privileged to attend the Cochrane Colloquium in September where co-production was at the heart of three days of meetings. You can still watch the plenary that discussed Building trust through co-creation: re-imagining evidence. And finally I was pleased to be a part of the commitment to embedding public involvement in health and social care research. It’s exciting to be a part of this growing movement, including the International PPI Network.
Which brings me at last to the challenges we all face. It’s easy to be downhearted looking at the pace of climate breakdown (in itself a health issue), violent conflict, and the scale of global income inequalities, often the elephant in the room when we think about health. So re-committing ourselves to the principles and work touched on above seems all the more urgent and important. Why not join the Network, share your work, write a blog, propose a webinar, find collaborators, join us on social media, and be an active part of this growing movement?
You can find out more about the Network on our website, and also follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter/X at @GlobalPPINet.
We invite members of our community to write and submit blog articles for publication on issues relating to the involvement of people, patients, carers and the public in health and social care in a global context. Please contact Katie Porter (k.s.porter@soton.ac.uk) for more information.
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