A rapid evaluation of the reporting and publishing practices of patient and public involvement and engagement in health research within a UK university institute
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Authors
Scott, Hannah May
Price, Lily
Ogden, Margaret
Bharadia, Trishna
Burke, Patrick
Horne, Rachel
Harding-Bell, Ava
Tonkin, Alexander
Thomson, Alison
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Issue Date
2026
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Article
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Abstract
Involving patients and the public in health research helps ensure that studies are of high quality and focus on the issues that matter most to the people affected. However, researchers do not always explain clearly how they have done this, making it hard to understand how these voices have shaped the research. This study looked at over 500 research papers published by authors from a UK Russell Group university to see how well the involvement of patients and the public was reported. Only one in five papers mentioned how patients and the public were involved in the main text, and fewer still acknowledged contributions from patients or public partners. Very few papers included patient authors or collaborators from charities and community organisations. Although most papers were freely available online, only 10% included a plain English summary to help non-specialists understand the research. To better understand these findings, the researchers worked closely with a group of patient co-authors who had experience collaborating with university researchers. Together, they developed seven recommendations to help improve how the involvement of patients and the public is reported in future studies. This work highlights the need for universities and research institutes to reflect on their practices and provide better support for researchers to work meaningfully and transparently with patients and the public. Clear and consistent reporting of the involvement of patients and the public is essential for building trust, improving research quality, and ensuring that health research truly serves the communities it aims to help.
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Journal
Research involvement and engagement
Volume
12
Issue
1