Sustainable PPI in Co-designing Dundee Dental Hospital and Research School (DDH&RS)

10th March 2023

Following a scoping exercise of patient and public involvement (PPI) activity across the hospital and research school, it became apparent that activity was limited to NIHR funded trials and a handful of individual research projects. With support from leadership teams across the Dundee Dental Hospital and Research School (DDH&RS) a more extensive programme of patient and public involvement activity was actioned. Here we reflect on progress and next steps.

First Patient and Public Involvement tour and event

A small planning group was formed to support the first PPI tour and involvement event, this took place in September 2022. This was successful event with good engagement and learning. Key learning from the event included keeping the name of the group simple, people are interested and want to be involved, a mix of in person and online meetings would be welcome, seeing behind the scenes of the hospital and research school is a good draw. Following this event, public attendees were invited to the launch event of the DDH&RS on 3^rd October 2022.

Networks and Training

Further personal development and training via external and internal events focused on PPI methods have been supported. The network also has representation on a newly established Public Involvement network at the University with colleagues across all disciplines.

Short Life Working Group established

In December 2022 a short life working group, with members from DDH&RS and support from a NES Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellow, was established to focus on further developing and sustaining PPI activities. Three key areas this group will focus on are:

• Governance: Staff handbook to be developed to bring together the resources available to support PPI, establish the route to widening access to the PPI group and developing a sustainable process for gaining PPI in research and service design. Team are currently working on three areas for the handbook focussing on ethical considerations, data handling and public engagement.
• Recruitment: a Microsoft forms-based database as been established which allows interested people to register their details and for us to collect some simple demographical information. Currently nine patients registered. Advertising flyers have been developed but these now need to be updated and re-distributed in line with our recruitment strategy, with upcoming activities including community pop ups, Student Union activity and resources to support. Meetings have also been organised with Maggie’s Centre to involve patients with Head and Neck Cancer.
• Training: Testing of training resources for both staff and public will be required and the aim is to bring these together in the planned PPI staff handbook for DDH&RS.
  

Second Patient and Public Involvement event

Delivered at the start of the year alongside the Brittle Bone Society (BBS), this helped to further broaden  the involvement work of DDH&RS. Since an initial meeting with BBS in October 2022, team members and a patient representative have visited the Dental School to share their work with Masters in Dental Public Health students (with a view to identifying a dissertation topic for one or more students). They will also present at the Dental School’s webinar series in February 2023.

Future Activities

Additional work continues and future activities include supporting a 4^th year BDS student elective working with the Tayside deaf hub, who are also keen to engage with Dental School activities.. This will involve a small piece of qualitative research exploring barriers and facilitators to oral health care expressed by this community. Recent discussions have included how the PPI group could feed directly into the DDH&RS Advisory group ensuring PPI at all levels. A workshop is also planned to consider dissemination activities such as HSR-UK 2024, IADR 2024.

More information 

• NRS Oral and Dental 
• Help shape research in Scotland 

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