The COMbaT Fatigue team has been awarded a prize at the UK Stroke Forum 2024 for their outstanding Patient, Carer, and Public Involvement (PCPI) work.
Grace Turner (left) and Jacqueline Mhizha-Murira (right), winners of the #UKSF24 Patient Carer and Public Involvement Prize
The COMbaT Fatigue team has been awarded a prestigious prize at the UK Stroke Forum 2024 for their outstanding Patient, Carer, and Public Involvement (PCPI) work. Their project, titled "Post-stroke fatigue: co-production of a web-based, self-management programme," has been recognized for its innovative approach in involving stroke survivors and carers in the development of their services and research.
The UK Stroke Forum prize celebrates teams that have successfully integrated stroke survivors or carers into their service or research development. The COMbaT Fatigue team's dedication to PCPI has significantly enhanced their research process, ensuring that the intervention is accessible and tailored to the needs of those with stroke-related impairments and other accessibility requirements.
Patient, Carer, and Public Involvement is essential to co-producing our intervention for post-stroke fatigue and has enhanced the research process at every stage. Lived experience is critical to co-design the content of the intervention and ensure that it is accessible to accommodate for stroke-related impairments and other accessibility needs,
The team has implemented a targeted recruitment strategy to include often under-represented groups in research, such as individuals with stroke-related impairments and ethnic minority groups. Sharing preliminary findings from focus groups with these communities has provided valuable real-life perspectives, highlighting the importance of understanding fatigue immediately after a stroke.
The PCPI and Engagement group has worked to make participant-facing information easy to understand, accessible, and inclusive. This includes using lay language, inclusive images, and alternative formats like easy-read versions and videos.
Building relationships with individuals, organisations, and community groups has been a key focus for the team, supporting engagement and involvement from diverse, underserved groups. These established networks will facilitate future research efforts, and the lessons learned will improve and expedite strategies for future involvement. Additionally, the team has built capacity for people from these communities to participate in future research projects.
COMbAT Fatigue is a £2.1 million programme grant funded by the NIHR and Stroke Association. Our goal is to develop and test a self-management programme which will empower stroke survivors to manage their fatigue, enabling them to engage in activities that bring joy, value and meaning to their lives. We will co-create the programme together with stroke survivors, caregivers, clinicians and other experts.
Associate Professor
Dr Grace Turner is an applied health researcher currently undertaking a NIHR post-doctoral fellowship. She has 10 years' experience in stroke research and is an emerging leader in stroke research.
