Engagement and outreach at CIMA

People with musculoskeletal disorders, their carers and the wider public are integral to CIMA and are valued partners in what we do. We want to ensure that our research is relevant to them and has maximum impact, through creating a research environment which: 

• has a shared commitment to the importance and value of research

• engages people affected by musculoskeletal disorders and the wider public

• facilitates the effective and timely translation of evidence into practice

We are keen to involve people with musculoskeletal disorders and members of the public in all stages of our research, and are continuously developing ways to enhance the partnership between patients and public and researchers. Patients and public have an especially important role in helping us to question how and why we do certain activities. This in turn helps us to: 

• set priorities for research

• decide on what the research is setting out to achieve

• understand what the research findings mean to patients and members of the public

• plan and design studies that are relevant, accessible and of interest to patients

• recruit people to take part in research studies, particularly by helping to ensure that the information we give to patients is co-developed and is clear and easy to understand

• understand how the findings can be applied in practice through a strong programme of knowledge translation for maximum impact

• communicate and share study findings and wider CIMA activity

Patient Involvement Panels

One of the most crucial aspects of our research is sharing it with people outside of CIMA institutes and centres. Engaging with the public, industry partners and charities allows us to guide the direction of our research, give us invaluable feedback from those who live with the conditions our research aims to tackle, and helps to grow the visibility of the CIMA centre.

CIMA runs a range of engagement panels and activities across all three of our sites, focusing on various aspects of musculoskeletal ageing and the research we are carrying out.

Liverpool:

Chaired by Dr Helen Wright, the panel serves as a resource for our researchers to engage directly with patients who may be living with the conditions which they are investigating, helping to shape the direction of our research strategy and ensure that they remain focused on delivering research with a real-world benefit. The events also afford patients the opportunity to hear presentations from our researchers, as well as invited external speakers from clinical and scientific backgrounds, giving them an insight into the most up to date advancements in the field of musculoskeletal ageing and chronic disease.

Meetings are held 3 times a year with the aim of:

• Providing a new pair of eyes for research ideas

• Helping researchers to write lay summaries

• Reviewing applications to funders that require public involvement

• Helping researchers present their research in an easy to understand manner

Our panel is made up of around 10 patient insight partners who together have personal or family experience of a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, including: Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Vasculitis, Systemic Lupus, Erythematosus Behçets Disease, and Myositis Fibromyalgia.

If you are interested in getting involved in the Liverpool Patient Involvement Panel, or to simply find out more, click HERE

Sheffield:

In Sheffield, our members collaborate with the local NHS Trust to engage with the public via Involvement Panels. These panels are held on a regular basis throughout the year, and occasionally organised to support ongoing research projects. In Sheffield, a broad range of panels are available for public and researchers to get involved. These panels are focused on different conditions, areas of research and healthcare, and different age groups.

There are specific musculoskeletal groups available, if you live in the Sheffield area and would like to be involved, or you are a researcher hoping to carry out engagement activities or patient involvement panels, find out more HERE