Combining qualitative research with PPI: reflections on using the person-based approach for developing behavioural interventions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Combining qualitative research with PPI

T2 - reflections on using the person-based approach for developing behavioural interventions

AU - Muller, Ingrid

AU - Santer, Miriam

AU - Morrison, Leanne

AU - Morton, Kate

AU - Roberts, Amanda

AU - Rice, Cathy

AU - Williams, Marney

AU - Yardley, Lucy

N1 - Funding Information: Illustration 1 presents independent research from the Eczema Care Online Programme funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research (project number RP-PG-0216-20007). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Illustration 2 presents independent research from the STREAM programme funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research (project number RP-PG-0614-20004). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Illustration 3 presents independent research from the TASMIN5S programme funded by the Stroke Association and British Heart Foundation (TSA BHF 2017/01). The research programme of Lucy Yardley is partly supported by the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Author(s).

PY - 2019/11/14

Y1 - 2019/11/14

N2 - Background: The value and importance of qualitative research and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) for developing complex health interventions is widely recognised. However, there is often confusion between the two, with researchers relying on just one of these approaches, rather than using the two alongside one another. Methods: The Person-Based Approach (PBA) to developing health-related behaviour change interventions adapts and integrates methods from user-centred design and qualitative research. The PBA involves qualitative research at multiple stages of interventions to ensure they are acceptable, feasible, meaningful, and optimally engaging to the people who will use them. The qualitative research is carried out with research participants from a target population, who have no prior or continuing involvement in the wider research process and see the intervention from a fresh perspective. This enables in-depth understanding of the views and experiences of a wide range of target users and the contexts within which they engage with behavioural change. PPI in research is carried out with or by members of the public and is a key part of the research process. PPI contributors are involved at all stages of research design and interpretation. PPI provides input into interventions as members of the research team alongside other stakeholders, such as health professionals and behaviour change experts. Results: We advocate using qualitative research alongside PPI at all stages of intervention planning, development, and evaluation. We illustrate this with examples from recent projects developing complex health interventions, highlighting examples where PPI and PBA have pulled in different directions and how we have approached this, how PPI have helped optimise interventions based on PBA feedback, and how we have engaged PPI in community settings. Conclusions: PPI provides a valuable alternative to the traditional researcher-led approaches, which can be poorly matched to the needs of target users. Combining PPI with the PBA can help to create optimally engaging interventions by incorporating a greater diversity of feedback than would have been possible to achieve through PPI or qualitative approaches alone.

AB - Background: The value and importance of qualitative research and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) for developing complex health interventions is widely recognised. However, there is often confusion between the two, with researchers relying on just one of these approaches, rather than using the two alongside one another. Methods: The Person-Based Approach (PBA) to developing health-related behaviour change interventions adapts and integrates methods from user-centred design and qualitative research. The PBA involves qualitative research at multiple stages of interventions to ensure they are acceptable, feasible, meaningful, and optimally engaging to the people who will use them. The qualitative research is carried out with research participants from a target population, who have no prior or continuing involvement in the wider research process and see the intervention from a fresh perspective. This enables in-depth understanding of the views and experiences of a wide range of target users and the contexts within which they engage with behavioural change. PPI in research is carried out with or by members of the public and is a key part of the research process. PPI contributors are involved at all stages of research design and interpretation. PPI provides input into interventions as members of the research team alongside other stakeholders, such as health professionals and behaviour change experts. Results: We advocate using qualitative research alongside PPI at all stages of intervention planning, development, and evaluation. We illustrate this with examples from recent projects developing complex health interventions, highlighting examples where PPI and PBA have pulled in different directions and how we have approached this, how PPI have helped optimise interventions based on PBA feedback, and how we have engaged PPI in community settings. Conclusions: PPI provides a valuable alternative to the traditional researcher-led approaches, which can be poorly matched to the needs of target users. Combining PPI with the PBA can help to create optimally engaging interventions by incorporating a greater diversity of feedback than would have been possible to achieve through PPI or qualitative approaches alone.

KW - Patient and public involvement

KW - Person-based approach

KW - Qualitative research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075123903&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1186/s40900-019-0169-8

DO - 10.1186/s40900-019-0169-8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85075123903

SN - 2056-7529

VL - 5

JO - Research involvement and engagement

JF - Research involvement and engagement

IS - 1

M1 - 34

ER -