Public involvement in health research increases

A report from the Health Research Authority has found that public involvement in non-commercially funded health research applications increased 11 per cent between 2010 and 2012.

The public was involved in 40 per cent of such applications in 2012, up from 29 per cent in 2010, according to the report. Public involvement in commercially funded health research applications increased by 3 per cent over the same period to 5 per cent, says the report, which was jointly published by the HRA and the National Institute for Health Research body INVOLVE on 27 February.

Janet Wisely, chief executive of the HRA, said that the findings were encouraging and provided a basis for increasing public involvement still further “until it becomes usual practice in health research”.