Engage with patients and the public to improve your research design
This service enables you to engage directly with patients, members of the public, and carers to improve the design and delivery of your research. It also helps you meet growing regulatory requirements and industry-wide codes of conduct, while working within your internal company guidelines.
How the service works
Watch this short video for an overview of how the service works, or read the key steps below.
1: Submit your request describing your engagement goals
Fill out the service request form. Provide information about yourself, your company and an outline of your engagement goals e.g. review patient information sheets, gather trial design feedback, or seek advice on a study's timeline. Let us know how you wish to collaborate with the public, for instance, group insight sessions or by setting tasks for individuals to complete. Include any key criteria you would like the people participating in this activity to meet.
2: Review and feedback
Our team will review your submission to ensure it's feasible and appealing to patients and the public. We will arrange a time to discuss your request further and talk through delivery timelines.
3: Letter of Agreement (LoA)
A Letter of Agreement will be generated to confirm engagement activities and deliverables.
4: Seek contributors
Once an LoA has been signed, we use our resources and connections to find suitable patients and public contributors to take part. The timeline for this part of the process varies. You will receive regular updates from your assigned NIHR facilitator. Your form submission is kept confidential within our team, but we may need to share some study information with relevant patient groups to promote the engagement activity. This is clearly stated in the online form.
5: Contributor selection
We will collate details of the people who have expressed an interest in taking part into an anonymised list. We will then help you to choose who you would like to invite to participate.
6: Activity facilitation
We will support you to plan your activity. For insight sessions, we will guide you in preparing a presentation about your proposed research for the contributors. We can also help you to develop questions to ask them. On the day of the engagement activity we will ensure everything runs smoothly and manage all aspects of the payments to contributors (as per national guidelines).
7: Full cost recovery model
Registration for the service is free. However, a full cost recovery model is used to reimburse contributor time, expenses, and NIHR facilitation time. An invoice is generated 30 days after the service is successfully completed.
Request Patient Engagement in Clinical Development service
If you're interested in using the Patient Engagement in Clinical Development service fill in the:
If you are not ready to use the service but would like to know more, read on or contact the Industry team.
Why engage members of the public in the clinical research process?
Patients and their carers are experts in their conditions. They are the only people who can truly tell us if we are achieving the right balance between the ‘ask’ of the research, and the burden of living with a condition or disease.
By engaging with patients and the public we can grow our understanding of their general needs and preferences, and how those may translate into a clinical trial scenario. Their insight is invaluable and has the potential to significantly improve study design and delivery
The earlier you involve patients and the public, the greater the scope for improvement. We believe that patients and the public can and should be involved from the very beginning of the clinical development process. This creates opportunities for draft protocols to be considered in real life situations, issues to be identified, and problems to be resolved before you seek regulatory approvals for your study
Some of the benefits that are commonly reported as a result of translating patient insight into action include:
- better study design
- better participant recruitment
- better participant retention
- better protocol adherence
- reduced risk of needing protocol amendments
Case studies and customer feedback
Read our latest case study to learn how we supported a global pharma company's patient-focused approach to breast cancer trials and hear from a patient contributor, Mary.
Read our guest blog from Sophie Evett, Feasibility lead for Pfizer, who reflects on her involvement in developing this service.
Types of engagement activities we provide
Patient insight group sessions
A popular choice. We can arrange and facilitate group sessions to acquire patient and/or public insight. The number of contributors may depend on the prevalence of the condition or disease area, but typically involves between 4 and 8 contributors. Feedback shows that contributors value this opportunity to interact directly. Sessions usually take place virtually but can be delivered in-person.
Coordinating independent feedback
We can also coordinate remote activities where patients and/or members of the public complete tasks independently. We will collate their feedback for you in a report.
Example engagement objectives
Common tasks and objectives include:
- identifying research priorities
- reviewing draft study protocols
- supporting the development of, and acquiring feedback on, patient information sheets and related materials
- acquiring feedback on participant recruitment and outreach strategies
Talk to our team if you have a different request. Use the contact details below.
Stage 1: scoping and recruitment
1 to 2 days
Define contributor profile: we will work with you to develop an ‘ideal contributor profile’.
Up to 4 days
Sign your letter of agreement (LoA): activities and deliverables are agreed and documented.
2 weeks
Recruit public contributors: we share the engagement opportunity through our networks and advertise on our channels for 2 weeks.
Up to 2 days
Select public contributors: we provide anonymised profile data so you can choose the most appropriate contributors.
Stage 2: engagement
7 to 11 days
Consenting contributors and preparation and facilitation of the engagement activities usually takes between 7 to 11 days to complete, depending on which engagement activity you have chosen.
Up to 2 working days
We aim to send your summary report of the activity within 2 working days
Benefits of choosing the NIHR as your patient and public engagement partner
- Recognised: the NIHR is embedded in the NHS and trusted by charities, patients and the public
- Patient reach: our network covers England and spans all therapeutic areas
- Independent intermediary: we are ideally positioned to facilitate patient interactions on your behalf
- Tailored: we respond to your unique patient-involvement requirements
- Flexible: choose the service package that is right for you
- Compliant: We work to the UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research
- Supported by the ABPI: aligns with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry's (ABPI) Code of Conduct.
Further information
For life science organisations
For patients
If you are a patient, carer or member of the public and would like to contribute to this service, read our guidance document:
Patient Engagement in Clinical Development service: Further information for Patients
Privacy notice
Read the Patient Engagement in Clinical Development Privacy Notice
Helpful resources
NIHR has created a range of resources which you may find useful.
- UK Standards for Public Involvement
- Payment policies and guidance
- How to involve people in research (Framework)
- Plain English Summaries
- Being Inclusive in Health Research
- Improving inclusion of under-served groups in clinical research: Guidance from INCLUDE project
Services and support for life sciences industry
Discover our full range of services:
Services and support for the life sciences industry
Contact the Industry team
Get started by submitting service request
If you are not ready to use the service but would like to know more, fill out our contact form to request a chat with our team. We aim to reply as soon as possible and always within two business days.