Confidence to do Patient and Public Involvement

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) can feel daunting. If you feel a little nervous about talking to patients or the public about your research, this session is for you! We will share some common worries and questions about doing PPIE in practice, and you will hear from PPIE facilitators, researchers and PPI contributors on their experiences and advice on the best way to get started. During the session you will have a chance to try out talking about your research in a safe and friendly environment with PPI contributors to help build your confidence in doing PPI.

Course Information

Eligibility Criteria

This programme is open to people and organisations based in the North East and North Cumbria, as well as those from the following organisations:

  • NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
  • NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC)
  • NIHR Innovation Observatory (IO)
  • NIHR Research Support Service (RSS)
  • NIHR Policy Research Unit (PRU)
  • NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN)
  • NIHR HRC in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation (HRC)

For more information

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, a learner will be able:

  • Develop knowledge and ideas on how to successfully approach PPI to get the best out of the activity for their research (and overcome worries/concerns/potential challenges).
  • Practice key communication skills (of public speaking and active listening) in a PPI context.
  • Demonstrate greater confidence in working with PPI contributors.

    • Course Agenda

    Brief recap of what patient and public involvement (PPI) is and why it is important throughout the life of a research project

    Common worries about doing PPI in practice, including submitted questions e.g.

    • Upsetting people by talking about their health / difficult experiences
    • Coping with the unexpected or challenging conversations
    • Balancing and integrating (different) views of public and research team
    • Representation
    • Time and resources for PPI

    Looking after people and avoiding harm – NENC ARC ethical practice guidance

    Tips on getting started in doing PPI – including the importance of planning and preparation, practising talking about your research, starting with the ‘why’, careful use of language, time to build relationships, and the importance of feedback

    Research cycle with examples of PPI activities at different stages

    Importance of relationships and remembering big picture - improving health and care outcomes for all of us

    Course Dates

    Course Start Date:  Wednesday, April 1, 2026 10:00 AM

    Course End Date :  Wednesday, April 1, 2026 12:30 PM

    Enrolment Dates

    Enrolment Start Date:  Wednesday, February 11, 2026 8:00 AM

    Enrolment End Date :  Monday, March 23, 2026 5:00 PM

    Course Location

    Newcastle University

    Course Tutor/s

    Greta Brunskill, Hannah Murray

    Course Delivery Type

    Face to Face in-person icon

    Course Fees

    This is a free course.