Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Research Unit

Welcome

Welcome to the Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) Research Unit. The Unit was established in the School of Medicine by Professor Anne MacFarlane, PhD, and is designated as a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Migrant’s Involvement in Health Research. 

Our work draws on a variety of disciplines including general practice, allied health, sociology, anthropology, health promotion, biostatistics and music. We have strong collaborative partnerships with community organisations, other academics, health service planners and policy stakeholders in Ireland and abroad. The Unit has generated research income of €14,900,232 since its inception in 2011. 

The PPI RU has three, inter-related areas of work: 

1. Building the evidence about meaningful PPI 
2. Building the evidence about meaningful PPI with migrants 
3. Building capacity for meaningful PPI at UL, nationally and internationally 

The PPI RU draws on the participatory health research paradigm to guide its scholarship and has a conceptual interest in participatory spaces. The Unit has three inter-related scientific questions: 

1. What material practices (participatory/arts based) support partnership building and working in qualitative and quantitative studies? 
2. What is the ‘work’ required to implement partnerships as a routine way of working? 
3. What is the evidence about how partnership working impacts on the process and outcome of research? 

We explore these questions through studies about primary care services and population health, with a specialist focus on migrant health

Listen to our podcast with Prof Anne MacFarlane 'Why involve public and patients in research'

Listen to our short video of Dr. Jon Salsberg talking about the value of PPI in research 

From the UL PhD Research series, Meghan Gilfoyle talks about undertaking a PhD in the PPI Research Unit here

People

Professor Anne MacFarlane, B.A., M.A., PhD.

Professor of Primary Healthcare Research, School of Medicine

Anne is founder and overall academic lead for the PPI Research Unit. She is the Director of WHO Collaborating Centre for Migrant’s Involvement in Health Research which is hosted in the Unit. She is a social scientist with more than 25 years’ experience using qualitative research methods in health services research. She has specialist expertise in participatory health research, particularly in relation to migrant health. Anne is Principal Investigator for a number of participatory health research projects (see our Research tab). She established and led PPI as a theme in the Health Research Institute (HRI) (2016-2019) to build capacity in the UL health research community for partnered research across topics and disciplines.

Anne is involved with international collaborations in Europe and North America to advance the evidence base about best practice for PPI and participatory health research. She is active in projects with WHO Europe, the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research and the North American Primary Care Research Group. Her current research interests include the sociological concept of space and how this can enhance understanding of participatory spaces in health.

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Professor Ailish Hannigan, B.Sc., PhD.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Statistics, School of Medicine

Ailish is the lead for quantitative research in the PPI Research Unit. She is Principal Investigator for the Vulnerable New Communities project and leads the quantitative work package for HRB EMH-IC. She has over 20 years’ experience as a statistician and educator and acts as statistical consultant both nationally and internationally. Her research interests include population health, the design and analysis of cohort and registry studies, and the potential and challenges for PPI in quantitative health research.

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Dr Jon Salsberg, B.A., M.A., PhD.

Senior Lecturer in Primary Healthcare - Public and Patient Involvement, School of Medicine.

Jon has over 15 years of experience working in community and academic participatory health research and integrated knowledge translation. He is a qualitative researcher with a background in public health promotion and anthropology of development. Jon's research interests are in understanding the theory and practice of multi-stakeholder engagement for co-creating new knowledge and its translation into action, principally in primary care and community health. His recent focus has been in using a social network approach in understanding how community stakeholders take ownership over academic research.

Jon has undertaken partnered research with a broad range of stakeholders including patients, health practitioners, community members and organisations, policy makers and health service decision-makers, as well as working extensively in Indigenous health in Canada. He was a founding member of the Centre for Participatory Research at McGill University, and is an executive committee member of the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research. He is UL Site Lead for the HRB/IRC PPI Ignite Network 2021-2026.

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Dr Frances Garry, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Participatory Arts-Based Migrant Health Research,
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance

Susann is an anthropologist who researches the interconnected fields of migration, health, and sexuality/gender. She is currently developing a research project on maternal health and migration in Ireland. In her PhD research, she investigated undocumented migrants’ access to healthcare in Berlin, Germany. As a postdoctoral research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast she led a team of researchers in a government funded study on the Northern Irish sex industry. Susann then spent two years at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, conducting a participatory arts-based project on the health and well-being of sex workers in Soweto. All her research projects incorporated critical, applied components, and Susann has worked in solidarity with grassroots movements and activist organisations such as the Medibuero Berlin, a non-governmental migrant rights organisation, and the Sex Worker Alliance Ireland (SWAI).

Úna McInerney, B.A., B.Mus., M.A.

PPI Manager

Úna has worked at the School of Medicine since 2014. She has many years’ experience leading and managing projects, including the set-up of allied health disciplines at UL. Her current role includes managing the WHO Collaborating Centre for Migrant’s Involvement in Health Research and she is UL Programme Manager for the HRB/IRC national PPI Ignite Network. She holds a Professional Diploma in Human Rights and Equality and works to promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all aspects of the work. Prior to joining UL, she qualified as a music therapist at University of Bristol and worked in health and education settings in Ireland, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda. 

Dr Clodagh Toomey B.Sc. Ph.D. (Physiotherapy)

Research Fellow, School of Allied Health 

Clodagh completed her PhD in 2014 from the University of Limerick and her Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2017 from the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, also holding an adjunct position there. Her research focuses on the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal disease, using patient and clinician involvement to guide and inform implementation of evidence-based programmes in health service delivery.
She is currently a recipient of a Health Research Board Emerging Investigator Award which is investigating the IMPlementation of Clinical guidelines of osteoArthritis Together (IMPACT). This will take a participatory health research approach to forming implementation strategies that will ensure exercise and education are first line treatment options for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis in the Irish healthcare system.

Dr Molly Manning, BSc, MPhil, MSc, PhD

Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy, School of Allied Health

Molly is a Speech & Language Therapist who comes from a healthcare project management and service design background. She is interested in facilitating meaningful inclusion of multi-stakeholder perspectives in intervention design and health policy implementation. She recently completed a HRB funded PhD in Health Services Research and Population Health. Working with PPI contributors with post-stroke aphasia, Molly developed policy recommendations for optimising stroke care in Ireland. She is currently progressing the implementation of these recommendations. Current projects include establishing a collaborative interdisciplinary community of practice for improved access to psychological care for people with aphasia and leading a study examining inclusion and retention of people with aphasia in stroke trials.

Meghan Gilfoyle, B.A.Sc., M.Sc.

School of Medicine GEMS 10 PhD Scholar

Dr Kathleen Markey, RN, BSc., PGCHE, MSc, PhD

Lecturer, Department of Nursing & Midwifery

Anna Papyan

Research Assistant, PART-IM

Grants & Awards

Competitive Grants

Education & Training

The PPI Research Unit has developed six new graduate (level 9) modules, under the leadership of Dr. Jon Salsberg. 

BM6021  Public and patient involvement in health research (6 ECTS)
BM6022  Introduction to participatory health research (3 ECTS)
BM6032  Advanced participatory health research (6 ECTS)
BM6011  Methods in participatory health research (6 ECTS)
BM6023  Participatory learning and action for public and patient involvement (6 ECTS)
BM6033  Public and patient involvement summer school (3 ECTS)

Modules are delivered using a combination of in-class teaching and blended learning options. 

The six PPI modules provide a total of 30 ECTS Level 9 credits and, therefore, can form the core of a graduate certificate programme. This programme is in development for launch in the near future.

PPI training for UL students & staff, clinical & community stakeholders

Through the HRB & IRC funded PPI Ignite@UL project, we have co-designed six training workshops with community and health sector partners. These are available through UL’s Human Resources Training and Development scheme: 

•    Introduction to PPI and Participatory Health Research
•    Finding Research Partners
•    Ethics, Governance and Research Agreements in PPI
•    Collaborative Grant Development
•    Collaborative Data Analysis and Interpretation
•    Collaborative Dissemination Planning 

There is also a PPI Club held approximately every month. This is an informal gathering to discuss people’s experiences of PPI in health research and to develop a supportive ‘community of practice’ for meaningful PPI.

For further information contact PPI-ignite@ul.ie

WHO Collaborating Centre for Migrant’s Involvement in Health Research

The PPI Research Unit is a designated World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. Our centre's main goal is to build capacity for participatory health research to involve migrants in health decision-making.

There is increasing attention to the involvement of the public and patients in health, and migrants are frequently excluded from participatory spaces that inform policy, service and research developments. Stakeholders need clear guidance to address this situation and access to appropriate tools and training materials. These will help to bridge the gap between the rhetoric and practice of migrants’ involvement in health decision-making because migrants’ voices will be connected with relevant dialogues and debates. This will lead to an increasing understanding of migrants’ needs, more responsive policies and greater health equity.

The center has two main goals in the next four years (2019-2023): 

 1) To develop guidance on the use of participatory health research, at the request of WHO, by identifying international principles and best practices for the meaningful involvement of migrants in a health research partnership

 2) To support WHO to devise and pilot a participatory health research training course and manual to build capacity for the meaningful involvements of migrants and other key stakeholders in health research partnerships.

Recent Publications

2021

Roura, M., Dias, S., LeMaster, J.W., and MacFarlane, A. (2021) ‘Participatory health research with migrants: Opportunities, challenges, and way forwards’ Health Expectations. 2021;00:1–10, available: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13201  

Manning, M., MacFarlane, A., Hickey, A., Galvin, R., and Franklin, S. (2021) ‘‘I hated being ghosted’ – The relevance of social participation for living well with post-stroke aphasia: Qualitative interviews with working aged adults’, Health Expectations, 24(4), available: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13291 

L’Espérance, A., O’Brien, N., Grégoire, A., Abelson, J., Canfield, C., Del Grande, C., Dogba, M.J., Fancott, C., Levasseur, M.A., Loignon, C., Majnemer, A., Pomey, M-P., Rasiah, J., Salsberg, J., Santana, M., Tremblay, M-C., Urquhart, R. and Boivin, A. (2021) ‘Developing a Canadian evaluation framework for patient and public engagement in research: study protocol’, Research Involvement and Engagement, 7(10), available: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-021-00255-4  

Garry, F., Murphy Tighe, S. and Phelan H. (2021) ‘The use of music as an arts-based method in migrant health research: a scoping review protocol’ [version 1; peer review: 2 approved], HRB Open Research, 3(75), available: https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13121 

MacFarlane, A., Ogoro, M., de Freitas, C., Niranjan, V., Severoni, S. and Waagensen, E. (2021) 'Migrants’ involvement in health policy, service development and research in the WHO European Region: A narrative review of policy and practice', Tropical Medicine & International Health, available: https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.13643  

Puthoopparambil, S.J., Phelan, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2021) ‘Migrant health and language barriers: Uncovering macro level influences on the implementation of trained interpreters in healthcare settings’, Health Policy, 31(5), available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.05.018  

Roura, M., W. LeMaster, J., Hannigan. A., Papyan, A., McCarthy, S., Nurse, D., Villarroel, N. and MacFarlane, A. (2021) ‘If relevant, yes; if not, no’: General practitioner (GP) users and GP perceptions about asking ethnicity questions in Irish general practice: A qualitative analysis using Normalization Process Theory’, PloS One, 16(5), e0251192, available: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251192

2020

Cush, P., Walsh, K., Carroll, B., O’Donovan, D., Keogh, S., Scharf, T., MacFarlane, A. and O’Shea, E. (2020) 'Positive health among older Traveller and older homeless adults: A scoping review of life‐course and structural determinants'. Health & Social Care in the Community, Volume 28, Issue 6 p.1961-1978. available: https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13060  

Manning, M., Cuskelly, C., Russ, E. and Franklin, S. (2020) ‘Supporting people with post-stroke aphasia to live well: A cross-sectional survey of SLT’s’, Health and Social Care in the Community 2020;28(6):2117-24. available: http://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13021 

Donnelly, S,, Manning, M, Mannan, H., Wilson, AG. and  Kroll, T. (2020) ‘Renegotiating dimensions of the self: A systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of the lived experience of self-managing rheumatoid arthritis’ Health Expectations Volume 23, Issue 6 p. 1388-1411. available: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex2 .13122 

Manning, M., MacFarlane, A., Hickey, A., Galvin, R. and Franklin, S. (2020) ‘The relevance of stroke care for living well with post-stroke aphasia: a qualitative interview study with working-aged adults’, Taylor & Francis Group, Disability and Rehabilitation,  available: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1863483

MacFarlane, A., Huschke, S., Pottie, K., Hauck, F.R., Grimswold, K., and Harris, M.F. (2020) ‘Barriers to the use of trained interpreters in consultations with refugees in four resettlement countries: a qualitative analysis using normalisation process theory’, BMC Family Practice ,Volume 21, Article number: 259. available: https://bmcfampract.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-020-01314-7 

Gilfoyle, M., MacFarlane, A. and Salsberg, J. (2020) ‘Conceptualising, operationalising, and measuring trust in participatory health research networks: a scoping review protocol’. BMJ Open, Volume 10, Issue 10.  available: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/10/e038840 

MacFarlane, A. (2020) ‘Optimising individual and community involvement in health decision-making in general practice consultations and primary care settings: A way forward’. European Journal of General Practice Vol. 26, Issue 1.  available: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13814788.2020.1861245 

Garry, F., Murphy Tighe, S. and Phelan H. (2020) ‘The use of music as an arts-based method in migrant health research: a scoping review protocol’. [version 1; peer review: 1 approved] HRB Open Research 3:75. available: https://hrbopenresearch.org/articles/3-75 

Roura, M., Dias, S., LeMaster, J.W. and MacFarlane, A. (2020) ‘Participatory health research with migrants: opportunities, challenges, and way forwards’. European Journal of Public Health, Volume 30, Issue Supplement_5, September 2020, ckaa166.781. available: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.781  

Merati, N.,Salsberg, J., Saganash, J., Iserhoff, J., Moses, J., Hester; K. and Law, S. (2020) ‘Cree Youth Engagement in Health Planning’. International Journal of Indigenous Health. 2020. Volume15(1), 73-89. available: https:/doi.org/10.32799/ijih.v15i1.33985 

Ormel, I., Salsberg, J., Hunt, M., Doucet, A., Hinton, L., Macaulay, A.C and Law S. (2020) ‘Key issues for participatory research in the design and implementation of humanitarian assistance: a scoping review’. Global Health Action. 2020 Dec 31;13(1):1826730. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2020.1826730 

van den Muijsenbergh, M.E.T.C., LeMaster, J.W., Shahiri, P., Brouwer, M., Hussain, M., Dowrick, C., Papadakaki, M., Lionis, C. and MacFarlane A. (2020) ‘Participatory implementation research in the field of migrant health: Sustainable changes and ripple effects over time’, Health Expectations 23 306–317 available: https:://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13034 

Hannigan, A., Villarroel, N., Roura, M., LeMaster, J.W., Basogomba, A., Bradley, C. and MacFarlane, A. (2020) ‘Ethnicity recording in health and social care data collections in Ireland: where and how is it measured and what is it used for?’, International Journal for Equity in Health 19, Article number:  2, available: https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-019-1107-y 

Salsberg, J. and Elmusharaf K. (2020) ‘Using Social Network Analysis to Measure Community Ownership in Participatory Health Research.’ SAGE Research Methods Cases. available: https:://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529740394 

Nguyen, T., Graham, I.D., Mrklas, K., Bowen, S., Cargo, M., Estabrooks. C., Kothari, A., Lavis, J., Macaulay, A.C., MacLeod, M., Phipps, D., Ramsden, V., Renfrew, M., Salsberg, J. and Wallerstein, N. (2020) ‘How does integrated knowledge translation (IKT) compare to other collaborative research approaches to generating and translating knowledge? Learning from experts in the field’, Health Research Policy and Systems. available: https:://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-0539-6  

Conneely, M., Boland, P., O'Neill, A., Byrne, D., Cronin, S., Quinn, D., Trépe, D., Leahy, S., Salsberg, J., and Galvin, R. (2020) ‘A protocol for the establishment and evaluation of an older adult stakeholder panel for health services research’ [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations] HRB Open Research 3:1, available: https:://doi.org/10.12688/HRBOPENRES.12979.1 

2019

Loutfi, D., Andersson, N., Law, S., Kgakole, L., Salsberg, J., Haggerty, J. and Cockcroft, A. (2019) ‘Reaching marginalized young women for HIV prevention in Botswana: a pilot social network analysis’, Global Health Promotion, available: https:://doi.org/10.1177/1757975918820803

Loutfi, D., Andersson, N., Law, S., Salsberg, J., Haggerty, J., Kgakole, L. and Cockcroft, A. (2019) ‘Can social network analysis help to include marginalised young women in structural support programmes in Botswana? A mixed methods study’, International Journal for Equity in Health 18, Article number: 12, available: https:://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-0911-8

Tierney, E., Hannigan, A., Kinneen, L., May, C., O’Sullivan, M., King, R., Kennedy, N. and MacFarlane, A., (2019) ‘Interdisciplinary team working in the Irish primary healthcare system: Analysis of ‘invisible’bottom up innovations using Normalisation Process Theory’, Health Policy. 123 (11), 1083-1092, available: https:://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.09.002 

Villarroel, N., Hannigan, A., Severoni, S., Puthoopparambil, S. and MacFarlane, A. (2019) ‘Migrant health research in the Republic of Ireland: a scoping review’, BMC Public Health, 19, 324, available: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6651-2

Manning, M., MacFarlane A., Hickey, A. and Franklin, S. (2019)’ Perspectives of people with aphasia post-stroke towards personal recovery and living successfully: A systematic review and thematic synthesis, PLoS ONE, 14(3), e0214200, available: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214200

MacFarlane, A. (2019) ‘The Helen Lester Memorial Lecture 2018:  The leper squint:  spaces for participation in primary health care’, British Journal of General Practice, 9; 69 (682): 255-256, available: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X702617

2018

McMenamin, R., Tierney, E. and MacFarlane, A. (2018)’ Using a participatory learning and action (PLA) research approach to involve people with aphasia as co-researchers in service evaluation: an analysis of co-researchers’ experiences’, Aphasiology, 32(1), 142-144, available: https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2018.1486380

Hannigan, A. (2018) ‘Public and patient involvement in quantitative health research: A statistical perspective’, Health Expectations, 21(6), 939-943, available:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hex.12800

Harris, J., Cook, T., Gibbs, L., Oetzel, J., Salsberg, J., Shinn, C., Springett, J., Wallerstein, N. and Wright, M. (2018)‘Searching for the Impact of Participation in Health and Health Research: Challenges and Methods’, BioMed Research International, 2018, available: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2018/9427452/

Khayyat Kholghi, M., Bartlett, G., Phillips, M., Salsberg, J., McComber, A., MaCaulay, A.C. (2018) ‘Evaluating an Indigenous Health Education Program for Diabetes Prevention: using lessons learned through Community Talking Circles’, Family Practice, 35(1), 80–87, available: https:://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmx068

Hannigan, A., Basogomba, A., LeMaster, J., Nurse, D., O’Reilly, F., Roura, M., Villarroel, N. and MacFarlane, A. (2018) ‘Ethnic Minority Health in Ireland—Co-creating knowledge (EMH-IC): a participatory health research protocol’ BMJ open, 8(10), p.e026335. available: http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026335

Hordijk, R., Hendrickx, K., Lanting, K., MacFarlane, A., Muntinga, M. and Suurmond, J. (2018) 'Defining a framework for medical teachers’ competencies to teach ethnic and cultural diversity: Results of a European Delphi study', Medical Teacher, 1-7, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2018.1439160. 

Tierney, E., McEvoy, R., Hannigan, A. and  MacFarlane, A. (2018) ‘Implementing community participation via interdisciplinary teams in primary care: an Irish case study in practice’, Health Expectations. available: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hex.12692.

O'Reilly-De Brún, M., De Brún, T., O'Donnell, C. A., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Lionis, C., Burns, N., Dowrick, C., Gravenhorst, K., Spiegel, W., Van Weel, C., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Van Den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2018) ‘Material practices for meaningful engagement: An analysis of participatory learning and action research techniques for data generation and analysis in a health research partnership’, Health Expectations, 21, 159-170.available: https:://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12598

2017

De Brun, T., O'Reilly-De Brun, M., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Burns, N., Dowrick, C., Lionis, C., O'Donnell, C., Mair, F. S., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Spiegel, W., Van Weel, C., Van Den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) ‘Using Participatory Learning & Action (PLA) research techniques for inter-stakeholder dialogue in primary healthcare: an analysis of stakeholders' experiences’, Research involvement and engagement, 3 (1), 28. available: http::/doi.org/10.1186/s40900-017-0077-8

O'Donnell, C. A., Mair, F. S., Dowrick, C., O’Reilly-De Brún, M., De Brún, T., Burns, N., Lionis, C., Saridaki, A., Papadakaki, M., Van Den Muijsenbergh, M., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Gravenhorst, K., Cooper, L., Princz, C., Teunissen, E., Van Den Driessen Mareeuw, F., Vlahadi, M., Spiegel, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) ‘Supporting the use of theory in cross-country health services research: a participatory qualitative approach using Normalisation Process Theory as an example’, BMJ Open, 7 (8). available. http::/doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014289

Roura, M. (2017) ‘Unravelling migrants’ health paradoxes: a transdisciplinary research agenda’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 71, 870. available: http::/doi.org/10.1136/jech-2016-208439

MacFarlane, A., Galvin, R., O’Sullivan, M., McInerney, C., Meagher, E., Burke, D. and LeMaster, J.W. (2017) ‘Participatory methods for research prioritization in primary care: an analysis of the World Café approach in Ireland and the USA’, Family practice, 34(3), 278-284. available: https:://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmw104

Papadakaki, M., Lionis, C., Saridaki, A., Dowrick, C., de Brún, T., O'Reilly-de Brún, M., O'Donnell, C.A., Burns, N., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van den Muijsenbergh, M., Spiegel, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Exploring barriers to primary care for migrants in Greece in times of austerity: Perspectives of service providers', European Journal of General Practice, 23(1) 128 - 134. available: http::/doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1307336

Teunissen, E., Gravenhorst, K., Dowrick, C., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Van den Driessen Mareeuw, F., de Brún, T., Burns, N., Lionis, C., Mair, F.S., O’Donnell, C., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Spiegel, W., Van Weel, C., Van den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Implementing guidelines and training initiatives to improve cross-cultural communication in primary care consultations: a qualitative participatory European study', Int J Equity Health, 16(1), 32. available: http::/doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0525-y

2016

O’Donnell, P., Tierney, E., O’Carroll, A., Nurse, D. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) ‘Exploring levers and barriers to accessing primary care for marginalised groups and identifying their priorities for primary care provision: a participatory learning and action research study’, International Journal for Equity in Health, 15(1), 197. available: http:://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0487-5

Tierney, E., O’Sullivan, M., Hickey, L., Hannigan, A., May, C., Cullen, W., Kennedy, N., Kineen, L. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) ‘Do primary care professionals agree about progress with implementation of primary care teams: results from a cross sectional study’, BMC Family Practice, 17(1), 163. available: http:://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-016-0541-9

Lionis, C., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Dowrick, C., O'Donnell, C. A., Mair, F. S., van den Muijsenbergh, M., Burns, N., de Brún, T., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Spiegel, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) ‘Engaging migrants and other stakeholders to improve communication in cross-cultural consultation in primary care: a theoretically informed participatory study’, BMJ open, 6(7), e010822. available: http:://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010822

de Brún, T., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., O’Donnell, C. A. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) ‘Learning from doing: the case for combining normalisation process theory and participatory learning and action research methodology for primary healthcare implementation research’, BMC Health Services Research, 16(1), 346. available: http:://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1587-z

O'Donnell, C. A., Burns, N., Mair, F. S., Dowrick, C., Clissmann, C., van den Muijsenbergh, M., Weel-Baumgarten, E., Lionis, C., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., de Brun, T. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) ‘Reducing the health care burden for marginalised migrants: The potential role for primary care in Europe’, Health Policy, 120(5), 495-508. available: http:://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.03.012

O’Reilly-de Brún, M., de Brún, T., Okonkwo, E., Bonsenge-Bokanga, J.S., Silva, M.M.D.A., Ogbebor, F., Mierzejewska, A., Nnadi, L., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van Weel, C. and van den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) ‘Using Participatory Learning & Action research to access and engage with ‘hard to reach’migrants in primary healthcare research’, BMC health services research, 16(1), 25. available: http:://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-1247-8

O’Donnell, P. & Lawson, E. (2016) ‘Managing physical health problems in people who inject drugs’, British Journal of General Practice, 66(642), 48-49. Available: http:://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp16X683365

2015

O'Reilly, F., Barror, S., Hannigan, A., Scriver, S., Ruane, L., MacFarlane, A. and O'Carroll, A. (2015) Homelessness: An unhealthy state: Health status, risk behaviours and service utilisation among homeless people in two Irish cities Dublin: The Partnership for Health Equity. https://www.healthequity.ie/report-launch

Teunissen, E., Van Bavel, E., Van Den Driessen Mareeuw, F., MacFarlane, A., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van den Muijsenbergh, M. and van Weel, C. (2015) ‘Mental health problems of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands: A qualitative exploration of recognition, recording, and treatment by general practitioners’, Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 33(2), 82-90. available: http:://doi.org/10.3109/02813432.2015.1041830

O'Reilly-de Brún, M., MacFarlane, A., de Brún, T., Okonkwo, E., Bonsenge Bokanga, J. S., Manuela De Almeida Silva, M. and van Weel, C. (2015) ‘Involving migrants in the development of guidelines for communication in cross-cultural general practice consultations: a participatory learning and action research project’, BMJ Open, 5(9), e007092. available: http:://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007092

O’Sullivan, M., Cullen, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) ‘Primary care teams in Ireland: a qualitative mapping review of Irish grey and published literature’, Irish Journal of Medical Science, 184(1), 69-73. Available: http:://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-014-1128-x

McMenamin, R., Tierney, E. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) ‘Addressing the long term impacts of aphasia: How far does the Conversation Partner Programme go’, Aphasiology, 29(8), 889-913.  Available: http:://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2015.1004155

Mc Menamin, R., Tierney, E. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) ‘Who decides what criteria are important to consider in exploring the outcomes of conversation approaches? A participatory health research study’, Aphasiology, 29(8), 1-25. Available: http:://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2015.1006564

Hickey, L., Hannigan, A., O'Regan, A., Khalil, S., Meagher, D. and Cullen, W. (2015) ‘Psychological morbidity among young adults attending primary care: a retrospective study’, Early Intervention in Psychiatry. Available:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/hex.12237

de Brún, T., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van Weel, C., Dowrick, C., Lionis, C. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) ‘Guidelines and training initiatives that support communication in cross-cultural primary-care settings: appraising their implementability using Normalization Process Theory’, Family Practice, 32, 420-425.  Available:  https:://doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmv022

2014

Tierney, E., McEvoy, R., O'Reilly‐de Brún, M., Brún, T., Okonkwo, E., Rooney, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2014) ‘A critical analysis of the implementation of service user involvement in primary are research and health service development using normalization process theory’, Health Expectations, 1(32). Available:  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hex.12237

McEvoy, R., Ballini, L., Maltoni, S., O'Donnell, C. A., Mair, F. S. and MacFarlane, A. (2014) ‘A qualitative systematic review of studies using the normalization process theory to research implementation processes’, Implementation Science, 9(1).  Available: https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-9-2

Mc Menamin, R., Mc Grath, M., Cantillon, P. and MacFarlane, A. (2014) ‘Training socially responsive health care graduates: Is service learning an effective educational approach’, Medical teacher, 36(4), 291-307. Available: https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2013.873118

MacFarlane, A., O'Reilly-De Brún, M., De Brún, T., Dowrick, C., O'Donnell, C., Mair, F. and Clissmann, C. (2014) ‘Healthcare for migrants, participatory health research and implementation science-better health policy and practice through inclusion. The RESTORE project’, European Journal of General Practice, 20(2), 148-152. Available: http://doi.org/10.3109/13814788.2013.868432

MacFarlane, A., and O'Donnell, C. (2014) ‘Who are we and where are we going? Primary care academics in non-clinical posts’, Primary Health Care Research & Development, 15(01), 96-103. Available: http://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423612000540 

Impact

Public engagement 

Policy brief about improving the collection and use of ethnicity date in health systems in Ireland. Policy Brief PDF

Ethnicity data collection in Irish general practices – community drama and YouTube video to disseminate research findings about implementation  of ethnic identifiers, 2020.

PPI in health research: Ignite@UL video to capture researchers’ interest in the relevance of PPI for their work, 2018  PPI in research

PPI in health research: UL Research Impact Series podcast to describe the field of PPI and work underway in the Unit, 2017 Why involve the public and patients in research   

PPI Summer School 2020 offered online, attracted wide participation from patients and other non-academic members of the public  

PPI Research Fair 2019 brought UL researchers together with members of six community and patient organisations for research priority setting  

Healthcare education and professional practice   

Briefing paper and resource for Irish College of General Practitioners about refugee and protection applicants, 2020: link here 

Module on migrant health for the Irish College of General Practitioners’ national curriculum for GP postgraduate training, 2020  

Supported the establishment of a Student Health Equity Group in the School of Medicine, 2014: https://ulhep.weebly.com/  

Health policy and service development   

Policy brief on optimising stroke care for living well with aphasia in Ireland. Policy brief. Aphasia friendly version.

Participation on the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry Advisory Committee, 2020–  

Participation on Department of Health COVID data analytics group for migrants and other vulnerable populations, Spring 2020  

Submission to Department of Health COVID team about levers and barriers to the implementation of ethnic identifiers in Irish healthcare settings, Spring 2020  

Hosted WHO seminar in the University of Limerick as part of an international seminar series to launch WHO’s 1st Health of Refugees and Migrants in the WHO European Region, 2019  

Submission to the Health Service Executive National Intercultural Health Strategy, University of Limerick, 2017; HSE support for University of Limerick research and collaborations mentioned as strategic goals  

Authors of WHO Health Evidence Network syntheses –  
How do variations in definitions of ‘migrant‘ and their application influence the access of migrants to health care services? This 2016 report was launched at the 66th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe. It was also presented at the WHO Summer School on refugee and migrant health, to the European Advisory Committee on Health Research (EACHR) 2017 and at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean meeting to develop a regional strategy on refugee and migrant health  

What strategies to address communication barriers for refugees and migrants in health care settings have been implemented and evaluated across the WHO European Region? This 2018 report was launched at the Ministerial Lunch of the 68th session of WHO Regional Committee for Europe, where Minsters of Member States outlined migration and health developments and areas of future focus at the global level. The report was also presented during the 2018 WHO School on Refugee and Migrant Health  

Invited expert speaker to the German national health funder about incorporating participatory health research into strategy and funding calls, 2018  (Anne MacFarlane)

Chaired a HSE Working Group on developing a model for the implementation of trained interpreters in the Irish healthcare system, 2017–2018. To develop a model for the implementation of trained interpreters in the Irish Healthcare system

Submitted a policy brief to the Irish Department of Health – Interdisciplinary Team, Working in Ireland: A New Direction 16 years on, 2018. Interdisciplinary Team Working in Ireland: A New Direction 16 years on   

Launched a framework document to inform implementation of community participation in primary healthcare, developed with HSE and community partners. A framework for implementation of community participation in primary healthcare   

Established a Partnership for Health Equity low-threshold GP clinic in Limerick city for homeless people, drug users and migrants who have difficulty accessing mainstream services, 2015   

Founding partner of the Partnership for Health Equity with HSE Social Inclusion, North Dublin City GP Training Programme, 2012 www.healthequity.ie 

PPI News & Events

September 2021

Dr. Molly Manning’s PhD paper is one of the top 10% most cited papers in PLOS ONE for 2019.
Dr. Molly Manning is lecturer in Speech & Language Therapy. Her research focus includes participatory implementation approaches to improving stroke care for living well with aphasia.

June 2021

The opinion paper ‘Optimising individual and community involvement in health decision-making in general practice consultations and primary care settings: A way forward’ by Dr. Anne MacFarlane was selected by the Editors as one of the most valued articles published in European Journal of General Practice in 2020.

The PPI Summer School took place online again in 2021. With over 160 people registered, we had lots of lively discussion and information-sharing.

May 2021

Professor Anne MacFarlane presented at the European Medical Students Association Talking with Patients workshop about communication with refugees and migrants.

Welcome to Anna Papyan who has joined the PPI Research Unit as research assistant for the HRI-funded Participatory arts-based research for involving migrants in health research cluster (PART-IM). The cluster is led by Research Unit member Professor Helen Phelan of the Irish World Academy of Music and Research.

Congratulations to Dr Jon Salsberg who received a Research Recognition Awards 2020/21 from UL Faculty of Education and Health Sciences. Jon’s award was in the Research Culture category for his work in promoting public and patient involvement in health research.

March 2021

We have published a policy brief about improving the collection and use of ethnicity data in Ireland. This is based on a HRB participatory health research project with community, academic and HSE partners (2017-2020). 

Professor Anne MacFarlane has been invited to be Special Issue Editor for the leading international journal about public and patient participation - Health Expectations. The Special Issue focuses on the participation of people from vulnerable populations in health decision-making. The call for papers is open here

December 2020

Professor Anne MacFarlane was invited by WHO as Keynote Speaker to present an evidence synthesis, prepared by the PPI Research Unit, supporting communication between migrants and their health care providers.  The webinar was for governmental and healthcare stakeholders working with Syrian refugees in Turkey.

November 2020

North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 2020

A limerick for Limerick!

We had a great presence at the virtual 2020 North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting (NAPCRG, 2020). Members of the PPI Research Unit along with community partners led a workshop about the HRB funded PPI Ignite@UL. Feedback by participants was excellent and even prompted a limerick…

“We all need more patient involvement to stay intellectually solvent. The Limerick school shares the best tool, to create the next research instalment”. - Bill Phillips, NAPCRG past-president.

Left to right: Pictured at the NAPCRG in November 2020, Dr Jon Salsberg (Senior Lecturer in Primary Healthcare Research), Meghan Guilfoyle (PhD candidate), Zoe Hughes (Policy and Research Officer, Care Alliance Ireland), Prof Anne MacFarlane (Professor in Primary Healthcare Research), Miriam McCarthy (Manager, Health Science Academy, UL & University Hospital Limerick),  Dr Vikram Niranjan (Research Assistant), Moderator of the session - Prof. Gillian Bartlett (Professor, University of Missouri, and incoming NAPCRG President).

PPI Seminar Series

PPI Research Unit member, Dr Vikram Niranjan, presenting live from India on migrants involvement in health decision-making as part of the November seminar.

Singing with the Voices of the World

We had a great day on Nov 14th with our workshop on singing, health and working with global voices! The workshop was organised by our PART-IM cluster - Participatory and Arts-Based Methods for Involving Migrants in Research. We had participants and facilitators from around the world including well-known Irish conductor David Brophy,  Musicians Without Borders, Sing Up! UK, and Peter Shannon of the American Institute of Music and Healing.

Older news and events