The patient and public advisory group (PPAG) within the Digital Health, Ageing Innovation and Inclusion Research Theme is made up of people with lived experience, carers, and members of the public who are passionate about making digital health research more relevant, inclusive and impactful. They are not just advisers, they are part of the research team, helping us shape studies from the earliest idea to the final report.
As one of our PPAG members put it:“Lived experience involvement in research is essential to ensure it is grounded in and answers the real-world needs of patients and carers”
Digital health has the power to transform healthcare, but only if the tools and technologies we develop meet the real needs of the people using them. The Theme's PPAG members offer a wealth of lived experience, from managing their own health and caring for others, to navigating health systems and embracing new technologies.
Another member explains:“Being involved in digital health research is a chance to help shape the future of healthcare. It brings real-life insight to innovation, so new tools and technologies are practical and genuinely improve people’s lives”
For some, joining the PPAG was motivated by personal health journeys. One member shared how digital health played a vital role in her recovery, inspiring her commitment to making sure others can benefit from it too:
“The right digital support can be transformational… it’s essential that it’s well signposted, targeted, easy to use, appropriate and tested. Having confidence in the support on offer is really important too… and if it’s evidence-based through research and involves patients and the public, it’s more likely to be successful.”
Other members have expressed their passion for making research more inclusive, as one of our members explains:
“It’s important to ensure a balanced range of voices and views are taken into account and considered” And another:“It’s important to me that innovations reflect the diverse voices and experiences of the people they’re meant to serve”
“It’s important to ensure a balanced range of voices and views are taken into account and considered”
And another:“It’s important to me that innovations reflect the diverse voices and experiences of the people they’re meant to serve”
By sharing their perspectives, our PPAG members keep our research grounded in real experience. They advise on how studies are designed, improve the clarity of research information and suggest practical solutions. They also help test new tools, contribute to public engagement activities and support the evaluation of how patient and public involvement is making a difference to our work. No matter the task, their input shapes our work in very meaningful ways.
As one of our members explains:“Being involved in digital health research like this provides patients and the public with a meaningful voice in shaping solutions that directly impact their lives. It helps ensure that innovations are not only practical and inclusive, but also truly patient-centred, while addressing the needs of clinicians as well.”
The commitment of our public and patient contributors ensure that digital health innovations from Newcastle are designed with, not just for, the people who will use them, by embedding their voices at every stage, we’re not only making better research - we are making research that matters!
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