Much-needed funding provided to launch two Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) projects in Oral and Dental Health

27th April 2022

The NHS Research Scotland Oral and Dental Specialty Group (NRS Oral and Dental) has provided much-needed funding to launch two Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) projects in Oral and Dental Health

The first project, led by Dr Heather Cassie, Dr Niall Mc Goldrick and Lorna Macpherson at the University of Dundee, is looking to increase involvement of underrepresented groups in all stages of research and service design.

With that in mind, a Dental and Oral Research PPI group is being established with a specific focus on improving involvement opportunities for groups of people who may be more vulnerable due to their characteristics or social situation. The group will support activities across Dundee Dental School and Research Hospital, including around the early detection of oral cancer.

“This funding provided by NRS Oral and Dental will be a really crucial part of our work,” said Dr Mc Goldrick. “Involving patients, service users and the public in the design and delivery of research is critical, especially as this helps improve the quality and relevance of studies. This becomes exponentially important when we consider underrepresented groups, who are most likely to have valuable perspectives that are not being heard, and whose needs may not be met by current models of research.”

Members of the public can register their interest in being involved in this group via their online form.

The second project, led by Professor Shauna Culshaw at the University of Glasgow, will use periodontal research as an exemplar to establish how to effectively engage patients in dental research projects. The goal will be to establish a register of interested patients, explore themes for further patient recruitment to PPI groups, and create a system of providing regular research updates to patients. The learning from this will be disseminated throughout the dental research community, providing an example of good practice.

“Insights from lived experience, alternative views, and different aspirations and thoughts about health outcomes helps to ensure studies can be designed and delivered in more effective, relevant and cost-effective ways,” said Professor Culshaw. “Patient and public involvement is now recognised not just as crucial for periodontal research, but for health research as a whole, and it’s our hope this project will enable us to provide essential resources and learnings for research groups at the beginning of their own PPI activity, as well as for patients and members of the public, without whom our research could simply not take place.”

 

Embedding public involvement in health and social care research

Funders, regulators, and research organisations who play an important role in the UK health and social care research have come together, working with members of the public, to sign up to a bold new shared commitment to improve public involvement in research.

NHS Research Scotland alongside the Chief Scientist Office have worked with the Health Research Authority, the National Institute for Health Research and a host of organisations across the UK to bring about changes which will drive up standards in health and social care research.

Read the full shared commitment, and Scotland’s commitment to public involvement in research

 

Find out more

• Register your interest in a Patient and Public Involvement Group
• Read about the work of NRS Oral and Dental
• Find resources designed for patients, carers, and the public

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