Understanding best practices for enabling purposeful public involvement and capturing public impact in rapid evidence research (RAPID-INVOLVE)

Context It is important that the public are involved in different types of research, including rapid research that informs policy and practice decision making. Inclusive opportunities for the public to be involved are essential to make sure that a range of diverse views influence this decision making. Researchers are trying to make sure that public involvement is part of fast paced research studies. This includes rapid evidence reviews (bringing together the findings of existing studies) or rapid primary research (for example, and interview study with patients). These projects typically take between 3 and 6 months. There are national standards and excellent resources available that help guide public involvement in research and to help capture the impact (or difference) the public involvement has made. This includes the PIRIT Toolkit and the UK National Standards for Public Involvement. However, there are no specific tools or guides for rapid research studies. Challenge There are limited guides and tools available showing the best way to involve public partners and capture the impact they make in rapid evidence research. We could and do draw upon the resources used in conventional research (e.g. clinical trials, systematic reviews, interview studies), but we have identified unique features of rapid research environments that warrant adapted and tailored public involvement and impact capture tools and resources. Further, we know that some people are underserved in rapid research environments and find it harder to have an influence and describe the difference they think their involvement has made. Some excellent resources already exist and so our underlying principle will be to adapt where possible but develop where needed. Aims and Objectives The aim of this study is to understand the best ways to support public involvement and capture their impact in rapid research settings. Our key objectives include: Understanding the opportunities for involvement and impact during rapid evidence research – this includes when and how public partners are involved, level of influence, barriers and facilitators, best practices and unique support needs Refining the PIRIT Toolkit so that it is suitable for use in rapid evidence research (PIRIT-RAPID) Identify novel and more inclusive ways to support underserved individuals to report impact and add these as complementary resources in the PIRIT Toolkit. Potential applications and benefits This project will develop a better understanding of public involvement in rapid evidence research environments. We will produce recommendations of best practice when involving members of the public in rapid research. We will update existing resources (e.g. PIRIT Toolkit) so that they can be used effectively in rapid evidence environments. We will also develop new and more inclusive ways to support people from underserved groups to be involved in the impact discussions. Our overall vision is to support to adapt, develop and mobilise a range of public involvement (PI) and impact capture resources for use in rapid evidence environments.