Language versions of the patient engagement checklist in research published

A joint working group of the Research Network for Rational Pharmacotherapy, EUPATI Finland (in Finnish) and the Medicines Information Network has published the Swedish and English versions of the patient engagement checklist for researchers. The checklist is the first guideline for Finnish researchers to encourage patient engagement and cooperation with patient organisations. 

Patient engagement is seen as an increasingly important part of research in medicine and health sciences, and the promotion of engagement has been recognised definitively in national health and pharmaceutical policies. Cooperation between researchers, patients and patient organisations improves the quality of research and helps to develop the objectives, methods and usability of results from the patient perspective. In rational pharmacotherapy research, ensuring patient engagement supports a more patient-centred approach in the different stages of the pharmacotherapy process. 

The checklist and its appendices aim to encourage researchers to develop close long-term cooperation with patient organisations and to provide concrete tips on the stages of research where the patient perspective should be taken into account. The aim is to strengthen patient engagement in studies on rational pharmacotherapy, medicines information and medication safety to increase the impact of this research. 

The materials are freely available and distributable.

Finnish:

• Potilaan osallistumisen tarkastuslista tutkijoille (pdf)
• Liite 1. Miksi rationaalisen lääkehoidon tutkijan kannattaa tehdä yhteistyötä potilasjärjestöjen kanssa? (png)
• Liite 2. Miten voin tutkijana kehittää yhteistyötä potilasjärjestöjen kanssa? (png)
• Liitekuvien 1 ja 2 tekstivastineet saavutettavassa muodossa (pdf)

Swedish:

• Checklista för forskare gällande patientengagemang (pdf)
• Bilaga 1. Varför ska en forskare inom rationell läkemedelsbehandling samarbeta med patientorganisationer? (png)
• Bilaga 2. Hur kan jag som forskare utveckla samarbete med patientorganisationer? (png)
• Tillgängliga textbeskrivningar för bilagornas bilder 1 och 2 (pdf)

English:

• Patient engagement checklist for researchers (pdf)
• Appendix 1. Why should a researcher in rational medicine use collaborate with patient organisations? (png)
• Appendix 2. As a researcher, how can I develop collaboration with patient organisations? (png)
• Accessible text equivalents for appendix images 1 and 2 (pdf)