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A Systematic mapping review of systematic reviews on patient and public involvement (PPI) in healthcare has now been published in BMJ Open (Bergholtz et al. 2024).  The review has been carried out by a team of GPCC-researchers and affiliated colleagues. The article is about PPI in healthcare, which is different from PPI in research. The major objective was to gain an overview of how patients, informal carers and the general public can be involved at the organizational and governance level in healthcare.

–  We found that a variety of systematic reviews have been done in this field, especially in the contexts of healthcare quality improvement, patient safety, community-based initiatives, peer-support and education of healthcare professionals. While there are many ways to involve patients, informal carers and the public, there is still a lot of inconsistency in how this is done and reported. Overall, our article emphasizes the need for better collaboration between healthcare providers and the communities they serve, Jana Bergholtz, first author and patient co-researcher at GPCC, explains.

Is there something you want to highlight?
One interesting aspect is that while PPI is widely discussed, there is no consensus on the terminology, making it harder to compare different interventions and assess its effectiveness consistently.

How can the article be used?

Healthcare organizations can use the findings to enhance how they involve patients, informal carers and the public. By understanding the different contexts and frameworks identified in the review, they can implement more effective strategies for engagement.

Identified gaps can be used as basis for future studies

Researchers can use the identified gaps in the literature as a basis for future studies. Our article highlights that more robust study designs, cost-effectiveness assessments and consensus-building efforts should be prioritized to create a more unified and impactful approach for PPI in healthcare.
Representatives and advocacy organisations can use the findings of this mapping review to call for more research, better practical guidance and a faster implementation of PPI in various healthcare contexts.

Overall, our article serves as a resource for anyone interested in enhancing patient and public involvement in healthcare, from healthcare managers to researchers to patient representatives and even policymakers.