Resources

We aim to give you all the support and guidance you need to involve PPI contributors in your research so that it is a successful experience for them, for you and for your project.

PPI staff from across the Medical Sciences Division have produced ‘PPI guidance for researchers’. This is available for anyone to use to help with their PPI activities. It includes information on the ways to do PPI, how to incorporate it at different stages of the research cycle, templates for you to adapt and useful contacts.

We have also developed some general guidance documents addressing specific topics that often come up.

Key points when recruiting and working with patients and the public

Recruiting patients and the public - general

Recruiting patients for PPI from clinics

Raising difficult issues

NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria have also produced these Ethical Practice Guidelines for Public Involvement and Community Engagement, which include a checklist of things to consider when working with patients and the public, with links to additional resources.

departmental PPI Payment policy and guidance

The Department has a PPI payment policy, based on payment guidance from NIHR, to ensure PPI contributors are reimbursed appropriately. As well as advice on good practice, it covers payment rates and signposts to further advice, such as if a contributor is receiving state benefits.

Please be aware that it is not possible for the Department to donate to charity instead of reimbursing a contributor. We advise that they accept payment and make the donation directly.

This guide gives step-by-step instructions on arranging payment for time and expenses for PPI activities.

For payment for someone's time taking part in PPI activities, please use the payment request form.

For payment of expenses, eg for travel or care costs, please use the external expenses form.

If your PPI contributors prefer to receive vouchers, please refer to the Department finance team's guide to purchasing these.

Best practice in PPI: advice from patients and the public

This video, Best practice in PPI: advice for researchers from patients and members of the public, was created by a PPI group which supported a DPhil project, and offers practical advice to researchers about working with patients and members of the public. It provides actionable tips to help enhance the quality and impact of your work through meaningful involvement activities.

The video formed part of dissemination activity planned and supported by the PPI group that were involved with Georgette Eaton's DPhil in evidence-based healthcare, which was funded by a NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship (Award ID: NIHR300681). Additional funding for the video was received from the NIHR School for Primary Care Research.

additional Resources 

• If you're new to PPI, you may find it helpful to do the staff version of the NIHR induction to public involvement.
• The UK Standards for Public Involvement are designed to improve the quality and consistency of public involvement in research. You will find them helpful in planning and reflecting on your PPI.
• NIHR have produced comprehensive guidance about payments for PPI which we recommend you follow. There is also a cost calculator to help you work out how much to budget for PPI.
• PPI guidance from the local NIHR Research Support Service (previously the Research Design Service).
• The NIHR Learning for Involvement website brings together a range of training and resources on public involvement.
• Public Involvement Front Door has lots of practical tips and videos to help you involve public contributors in your work.
• Guidance on working with public co-applicants on your grant.
• Imperial College London have developed guidance on doing trauma-informed PPI, which offers lots of practical tips.
• This report is about working with vulnerable parents but everything in it is applicable more widely in relation to working with voluntary and community sector organisations.
• There are additional NIHR PPI resources including guidance on evaluating impact and reporting PPI.
• Read the final report of our workshop on 'Difficult situations in PPI' and view the co-produced mapping of PPI – successes and perils by Carmen Byrne.
• This video showcases ideas and tips for involving people from diverse communities.
• There is sometimes confusion between PPI activities and qualitative research. The Research Support Service has produced this guidance to help explain the difference.
• Please give the Welcome guide to new public contributors on your project. You may also wish to suggest they do the public partner version of the NIHR induction to public involvement.
• NIHR have compiled a glossary of terms and acronyms that your public contributors may find helpful.
• If you are just considering your research question or who you might collaborate with, you may find the 'Priorities for health and care research tool' useful.