Forty people kindly gave their time this December to work with Cardiovascular researchers and clinicians to discuss ways researchers can help people from under-served communities take part in research.
Members of the Leicester Cardiac Surgery Research Team are currently undertaking community engagement in under-served areas of Leicestershire with support from the NIHR Leicester BRC and Leicester Centre for Ethnic Health.
The main objective is to discuss different ways in which researchers can help people from under-served communities take part in research.
This includes talking about strategies already in place, as well as exploring new ideas and opinions from the public that haven’t yet been considered by academics. The long-term aim is to bring together these ideas into a ‘checklist’ which researchers in the future can use in new research studies, to help them involve more people from under-served communities. This will hopefully make research in the future more inclusive, and the results more relevant to more people.
A consensus workshop was held on 4th December 2024 with 40 participants, consisting of members of the public, carers, patients, researchers and clinicians who came together to discuss and prioritise the checklist strategies. The workshop was a resounding success and the quote below from a patient member reflects their experience.
“I must say I was impressed by your ability to connect with the public on the ground, whilst being able to actively listen. It’s not often Seldom heard voices get to be heard, but they were on Wednesday. Thank you.”
Participant on 4 December.
The checklist will be applicable to all trials in surgery or cardiovascular disease and is being led by members of the National Cardiac Surgery Clinical Trials Initiative with co-development of multiple stakeholders from underserved groups across the UK.
The checklist will be launched at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, on Wednesday 9th April 2025. If interested in attending the launch, please register via the link below by 10th January 2025.
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For more information of the work of our Public Involvement Team, please click here to visit their pages.