The RAPPORT study: RAPPORT: ReseArch with Patient and Public invOlvement: A Realist evaluaTion

This research seeks to examine the extent and types of public involvement (PI) in a range of national research studies. The aim is to assess different approaches to PI amongst six different research topic areas; cystic fibrosis, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, learning disabilities and public health.

The presentation will describe key findings from the first two phases of the study; a national scoping of PI in current or recent research studies listed on the UKCRN portfolio; and an on-line survey of 300 chief investigators. Plans for the third stage; the tracking of up to 20 case studies in four regions over 18 months will also be presented. It is hoped the audience will gain some understanding of the varied approaches to PI between and within topic areas and levels of PI involvement in different types of research design. Chief investigators’ comments about the benefits and challenges of PI will be discussed alongside early findings around contextual factors that appear to impact on how PI is incorporated within studies.

The RAPPORT research has PI at all stages from research proposal development, as co-applicants, advisory committee membership, design of data collection tools, co-researchers in the case study phase through to dissemination.