What the study found
A layered patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) strategy helped the RETURN dental study involve a broader and more diverse group of contributors. The paper reports that this approach produced distinct input from different layers and was more meaningful and inclusive than relying on a single PPIE layer.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that layered PPIE can strengthen inclusivity in health inequalities research by combining different forms of involvement across stages of a study. They say it can help move beyond tokenism and support context-sensitive involvement while including both experienced contributors and people less likely to join through conventional routes.
What the researchers tested
The paper is a case study of the RETURN dental study. The researchers embedded a layered PPIE strategy that included a lay researcher, a patient reference group, a community advisory group, and grassroots engagement activities, with a range of one-off and longitudinal involvement.
What worked and what didn't
More than 300 PPIE collaborators contributed to study development, including work on the intervention, patient-facing materials, patient information sheets, questionnaires, recruitment practices, and dissemination. The abstract says each layer contributed different forms of input and had differing contributions, challenges, and lessons learned, but it does not provide detailed comparisons of which parts worked best or least well.
What to keep in mind
This is presented as a case study from one dental trial, so the abstract does not claim that the findings automatically apply to all research settings. The summary also does not describe specific limitations beyond noting that each PPIE layer had different challenges and lessons learned.
Key points
- The RETURN dental study used a layered patient and public involvement and engagement strategy.
- The approach brought in over 300 collaborators across several PPIE layers.
- Different layers contributed to the intervention, materials, questionnaires, recruitment, and dissemination.
- The authors say the layered approach was more inclusive and meaningful than a single-layer approach.
- The paper frames the strategy as a way to support health inequalities research and move beyond tokenism.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Layered PPIE broadened involvement in the RETURN dental study
- Authors:
- V. Lowers, M. Stanley, J. Hennessy, E. Morgan, R. Horsley, J. Vithlani, R. M. Harris
- Institutions:
- University of Liverpool, House of Representatives
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-07
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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