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Principles of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE)

‘How to involve and engage patients in digital health tech innovation – An Evidence Based Guide’ sets out four key principles to involve and engage patients and the public in digital health innovation. Built on extensive patient input, as well as insights from system leaders, innovators and clinicians, the guide responds to the accelerating use and supply of digital technology for health and social care and was developed in partnership with the AHSN Network and the University of Plymouth. 

The academic foundation for the guide was provided by the University of Plymouth’s research ‘Meaningful patient and public involvement in digital health innovation, implementation and evaluation: a systematic review’ which was recently published in the international journal Health Expectations1. The review was followed up by a Delphi study to consensually evolve the ENACT principles. The collaborative effort with BI and the Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) helped stress test the principles, refine and produce the guide.

For each principle, the guide presents key learnings, challenges, an illustrative case study, and a checklist of recommended actions for innovators to track their progress against. The four core principles for PPIE are:

  • Engage – map out your strategy and motivations, identify a representative cohort, and develop inclusive engagement practices.
  • Acknowledge, value & support – show you value patients’ and the public’s contribution to ongoing and transparent communication, any necessary training, and potential financial reimbursement.
  • Communicate – tailored external communication and open feedback channels are crucial to maintaining engagement and accountability by all parties.
  • Trust and transparency – In order to gain patients’ trust, organisations conducting PPIE should be trustworthy and transparent about potential risks.
Principles of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement

Download ‘How to involve and engage patients in digital health tech innovation – An Evidence Based Guide’ 

This recognises the huge impetus behind data and digital to build a more agile, efficient and sustainable health service, and the need for innovators to demonstrate the value of their technologies. The guide not only aims to help with the initial digital development of innovations but also puts in place processes to support ongoing product improvement. By adopting the core principles, digital innovators can continually evolve their product, better communicate its value to the system, and crucially improve patient trust in the technologies created.

‘How to involve and engage patients in digital health tech innovation – An Evidence Based Guide’ builds upon the findings from Boehringer Ingelheim’s 2020 publication, the ‘Innovator’s Guide’, which you can view here.

Share your feedback by completing our surveys

We are seeking out views from across the digital innovation community on the role of PPIE in the design of digital health technologies. We wish to understand the usability and impact of the guide in the real world. Our research is split across two surveys which can be accessed through the links below. 

The individual results of this survey will remain anonymous and will not be made public. The aggregate results of this survey may be published and used in conversations with the system stakeholders. 

Survey 1 – Share your feedback on the PPIE framework and principles

Survey 2 – Let us know your experience of using the guide in practice 

 

Reference:

1. Meaningful patient and public involvement in digital health innovation, implementation and evaluation: a systematic review. Health Expectations, DOI:10.1111/hex.13506

 

NP-GB-104938   August 2024