Mandating patient and public involvement in research: is it cause for concern?

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Public and Patient Involvement [PPI] is a relatively new concept within the field of research. However, it involves a process whereby service users/patients are involved in every step of the research process. Recently, The Lancet Psychiatry and the Journal of Mental Health released a mandate for all future submissions to have PPI representation clearly documented in the manuscripts. This, although welcome, raises the fear of tokenistic practices in research production and dissemination. This has resulted in a space of contentious fluidity developing as researchers and indeed PPI representatives struggle to ascertain what exactly PPI is all about. Only when these questions are answered, will we, as scholars, determine whether to actively use the approach or let it die off like a burnt out candle