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Primary Care is healthcare in the community - everything from GPs to Pharmacists, Optometrists to Dentists. At the School of Primary Care Research we aim to gather evidence to help decide what will make primary care better for everyone.

The School does this through funding high-quality research into what works, what does not, and what could work in the future. Since our goal is improving care for everyone, it is best that everyone is involved.

What is Public Involvement? When researchersask the public about what research should be done and how, rather than being participants.
Who vcan get involved? Anyone! If you are a person living in the UK, you can get involved in healthcare research rather than being a participant.
What do I have to do? There are loads of ways you can get involved. Tslking to a researher about your expericences of a condition. Reviewing information sheets. Input during event, training and workshops.
What is primary care research? Primary care is healthcare in the community - everything from GPs to Pharmacists. Research can be about illnesses, clinical practice and treatments.
What is in it for me? Make a difference. Understand research and see how projects develop. Develop skills and useful expericence, including talking at events and conferences.

How to Get involved 

You can get involved in research in a number of ways:

  • help select research that is important and relevant
  • help researchers design their projects
  • help develop understandable information sheets for people taking part in research
  • join a research management or advisory group
  • train to carry out some of the research (for example interviews)
  • help interpret the results of the research
  • help make sure the research is reported in understandable ways
  • help make sure good research is heard about.

On HealthTalks you can watch a short film where people share their motivation and experiences of being involved in research.

There are no prerequisites to become a public contributor, though some studies might require their contributor to have lived experience of a certain condition. If you are interested in becoming a public contributor for primary care research, get in touch with your local PPI coordinator from one of our member universities.