1 Day Info & Education on Enhancing meaningful involvement opportunities in research - 6 Oct

NUI Galway is hosting an information and education day, for the public, including members of community groups and of patient organisations, who are interested in finding out more about how to work with researchers to guide and influence research, known as Public and Patient Involvement (PPI). A series of workshops will explore how research works and how the people likely to benefit from new treatments can be directly involved in and can shape decisions made to produce them.

Registration is now open. All workshops will be delivered in plain English.

Programme

Session 1: Working in partnership, making an impact

The first session is for everyone, introducing research and how public, patients, researchers and healthcare professionals can work in partnership to make an impact.

After the first session, you have a choice of workshops. When you register, please select the workshops you would like to attend.

Workshop 1A: Clinical trials of new treatments: when can we believe the results?

One week red wine, or bread, or chocolate is good for you. The next, it increases your risk of some disease. How do we know what to believe? This workshop explores the world of clinical trials, trial results and dubious health claims and encourages participants to think critically about the latest diet fads or miracle cures, to help make informed health choices.

Workshop 1B: WHO ME? How each of us can make a difference to research

If you who have little or no knowledge of how research works and no experience of PPI, this workshop is for you. Topics explored will include where do research ideas come from?, how does research bring about change, and how can the public contribute to the planning and conduct of research and reporting of research results. The workshop will be co-facilitated by a member of the public.

Workshop 2A: Deciding who gets the (research) money: how the public can have their say

Recently, members of the public have begun to help make decisions on what research gets funded. This workshop, co-facilitated by a member of the public, looks at how to review a research grant application and how to what makes a good research plan from the public and patient's point of view.

Workshop 2B: Speaking up: Advocacy training

Do you want to use your voice to advocate for yourself and/or on behalf of others? This workshop will give you the skills to develop confidence and self-awareness to enable you to speak up for you/others and to strengthen the power your voice, collectively and individually.

Join the Irish Advocacy Network for this workshop to learn how to have your say!

Workshop 3A: Conducting research interviews: Building your PPI skills

Research data is often collected through interviews, usually conducted by researchers. Sometimes, people from the population about whom the research is being conducted can become interviewers- this is called peer interviewing. This workshop provides training to the public on how to become peer interviewers and an opportunity to try out some of the skills learned.

Workshop 3B: Telling it as it is: clear communication

Communicating medical and scientific data to different audiences is challenging. Drawing on examples of communicating sports science data to elite sport stars, sharing the results of a patient screening programme with a patient and the reporting of the latest healthcare claim by the media, workshop participants will consider how together we can solve these communication challenges.