PPI Group

Our Public and Participant Involvement Panel

The Edinburgh Dementia Prevention Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Panel was set up in 2018 to facilitate the design and implementation of research conducting at Edinburgh Dementia Prevention.  

What is a PPI panel?

A PPI panel is a group of people who volunteer their time to discuss research related issues.  These issues can very greatly depending on what in required, and can include discussing ideas for a new study, feedback on a new project design, offering feedback on their research experiences, or reviewing funding applications.  Panel members come from varied educational, health, ethnic and cultural backgrounds providing a wide range of attitudes and opinions on health and research. This depth of experience helps to shape the direction and imlpementation of research making it more relevant to public needs and making the research more accessible to future research particpants.     

What happens when they meet?

The PPI panel can meet in small or large groups depending on the particular topic of discussion. This can be at the Edinburgh Dementia Prevention building in-person, or online using videoconference technology such as Skype or Zoom. In some cases, such as reviewing documents, the PPI panel do not need to meet up, and can send their feedback by emails or questionnaires.  The meetings are usually facilitated by a researcher or nurse who will ask questions and encourage discussion.  After the meeting the facilitators can feed back to the research teams who can then make changes and improvements to their studies. 

Who can join the PPI panel?

Anyone can join the panel. Patient and public opinions on research are much more relevant when they encompass views from the all aspects on the public domain. Even if you have memory issues, and regardless of your current health, the PPI panel is open to everyone. You do not have to have taken part in research before. 

How do I join the PPI panel?  

The panel is not currently recruiting. You can register your interest in joining the PPI panel by contacting us.