Celebrating and highlighting the importance of Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) is a priority at Health Data Research UK (HDR UK). In October 2024, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre had the pleasure of joining HDR UK’s first in-person PPIE celebration event in central Manchester.
This exciting event was a first for HDR UK and was a chance for public contributors from across the institute to network, celebrate successes and to join interactive discussions based on some of the most pressing topics for health data research and PPIE.
Several public contributors from the Centre were in attendance, including Wendy Davis. Here, you can read more about Wendy’s experience.
Why I am involved in health data research
I joined the BHF Data Science Centre at the start of this year and I support the Stroke Data Science Catalyst and I am a member of their Public Advisory Group. I’m a cardiac patient with complex heart issues, and I have a passion for health data and the role that patients have in health and research.
My experience attending the event
I recently attended HDR UK’s Annual PPIE event and wanted to share what a fantastic experience it was.
The event was set in a bright, modern building in the heart of Manchester and, from the moment I arrived, the event was welcoming and friendly.
The day was packed with a mix of speakers, both patients and health professionals, covering topics showcasing PPIE as well as interesting areas of research such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
All the speakers were open, honest and shared why they were involved in their work. This highlighted how much passion there is behind so many impressive health projects.
The agenda was very well put together, with plenty of breaks, giving us the opportunity to meet other people. This was important as many of these people I have only met online previously, and I also met new people and heard their stories.
It was both informative and insightful, with many examples of health data research projects where patients are involved.
The day had a warm and empowering vein running throughout the conference and it felt such a supportive and positive environment.
How I felt on the day
The highlight of the day for me wasn’t just one talk, but the sense of pride I felt over how important the work that we do is, and how much of it is happening around the UK. I left the conference feeling empowered and wanting to get more involved in patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in 2025. – Wendy Davis
Thank you to all who made this event happen, it felt like a real celebration of the contribution that patients make to research and health projects. I hope there will be many more events like this which show the wealth of patient and public involvement going on across HDR UK’s extensive list of work.
Find out more
To find out more about PPIE at HDR UK head over to their website here.
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