What do we mean by patient and public involvement and engagement?

‘Patients and the public’ include everyone who uses services, including patients, carers and families. 

Patient and public involvement and engagement with the NHS can be described as the active involvement or engagement of patients, carers, families and members of the public in governance and strategy; service design, delivery, development and evaluation; prioritisation, planning; and individual care and treatment. 

Table discussion with NHS staff and members of the public

In Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPI/E) in research there is a distinction between involvement, engagement and participation. Involvement is where patients, carers, members of the public are actively involved in research projects and in research organisations, i.e. to prioritise research, offering advice as members of a project steering group, etc. Engagement is where information and knowledge about research is provided and disseminated, i.e. public events. Participation refers to the recruitment of patients or members of the public as participants in research.

Find out more about how we work with patients and the public here.