{"id":790,"date":"2019-09-06T10:39:09","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T10:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/perc\/?p=790"},"modified":"2020-02-04T09:45:11","modified_gmt":"2020-02-04T09:45:11","slug":"case-study-19-involving-women-in-the-design-of-maternal-cardiovascular-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/perc\/2019\/09\/06\/case-study-19-involving-women-in-the-design-of-maternal-cardiovascular-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Involving women in the design of maternal cardiovascular research"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series PPI Awards: Round 4 Reports<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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In conversation with: Olive Adams, Research Midwife <\/strong><\/p>\n

Working within: Centre for Fetal Care (NIHR Imperial BRC Theme: Maternity Cardiovascular)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What did you do? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Our research department, the Centre for Fetal Care, undertakes studies on maternal cardiovascular health and other conditions in pregnancy at Imperial and with European collaborators.<\/p>\n

We formed a group of women who were either affected by conditions addressed in our research or who were in the pre-conception period (the weeks or months when a woman or couple decides to have a child). We wanted the group to meet quarterly and to give us their views on the research taking place in our department.<\/p>\n

At one workshop, we asked the nine members of the group who attended to comment on an upcoming research project and invited them to share their experiences of their condition. We also provided a questionnaire to determine the priorities of the group in regard to the research project\u2019s outcomes and main themes. \u00a0We used their answers, comments and feedback to strengthen the design of the research and the funding application.<\/p>\n


\nWhat were you trying to achieve?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the main aim of our research is to benefit patients at the Centre for Fetal Care, we wanted to involve them by enabling them to have a say in whether research we were undertaking (or planning to undertake) was relevant and acceptable to them.<\/p>\n


\nWho did you involve and how did you find the right people? <\/strong><\/p>\n

We displayed posters in maternity areas and approached patients who we thought might be interested. \u00a0We also invited the women\u2019s partners.<\/p>\n


\nWere the people you involved given any training? <\/strong><\/p>\n

We sent each person a detailed email explaining what to expect from involvement in research and our sessions. Before the workshop, channels of communication were kept open over email so that any questions could be answered ahead of time. We encouraged those who attended the workshop to attend free training sessions<\/a> run by the Patient Experience Research Centre.<\/p>\n


\nDid you achieve what you set out to do? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes. The workshop resulted in changes to the design of one of our projects. \u00a0Patients suggested the following for improving the design and conduct of the project:<\/p>\n