Examining the role of patients, publics, and citizens in providing evidence for health care research
Health care researchers, policy makers, service providers and innovators are increasingly expected to include the perspective of patients and citizens in their work through ‘PPIE’ (patient and public involvement and engagement). But what role is the patient or ‘ordinary citizen’ expected to play in the process of generating and applying evidence? What is the nature of the expertise they bring? Who (if anyone) do such individuals represent, and whose voices might go unheard? What counts as evidence – and who decides?
As advocates and activists bring the voices of patients and communities to research on issues ranging from HIV/AIDS to vaccination, we examine different kinds of knowledge, expertise and power play in the generation of evidence and its application. Using real examples and experiences, we consider who the key groups of actors are in the generation and translation of evidence, what kinds of expertise they bring and the roles they play. We investigate social theory that helps explain the concepts of expertise, power and activism and we consider who wields influence and how citizens can make a difference.
The last date for receipt of complete applications is 5pm Thursday 20th November 2025. Regrettably, late applications cannot be accepted.
Course Aims
On completion of this module, we expect our students to be able to:
- Summarise the evidence base for patient and citizen involvement and engagement in the generation and use of health research evidence
- Address the topic of patient and citizen involvement from a critical social science perspective giving consideration to the actors involved and their respective interests
- Critically evaluate the concepts of evidence and expertise in relation to health care and research, applying key theories and models to real examples
Research methods and techniques taught in this module:
- Narrative interviews
- Focus groups
- Participatory research
Examples of case studies to be discussed in this module:
- HIV/AIDS activism from the 1980s to date
- Contemporary vaccine debates: exploring scientific evidence and public trust
- Patient and public involvement informing drug trials