What is statistical methodology research and why is PPIE input important?

Patient and Public involvement and engagement (PPIE) is important to healthcare research. Many funders want to see it when we apply for funding. There are lots of resources available on how to carry out meaningful PPI for people-based, or ‘applied’, research studies, such as clinical trials. However, there is less guidance on how to do PPIE for other studies, including research into new – or better– ways to analyse research data. We call this ‘statistical methodology research’. 

Statistical methodology research is a crucial part of healthcare research. It involves finding new – or the best – statistical tools to analyse data. It means that researchers who do people-based health research studies have the best chance of answering their research questions. Indirectly, it leads to better patient care and outcomes. This type of research can be difficult to describe to members of the public. It can also be hard to involve people meaningfully in statistical methodology research. 

With the help of a visual storytelling agency (Nifty Fox Creative), statistical methodologists and members of their PPIE group at the University of Leicester have developed an animation. This animation describes what statistical methodology research is and why PPIE is important for this type of research. They hope that this animation can be used as a first step to introducing this topic. For example, the animation could be used when inviting public contributors to get involved with statistical methodology research to set the scene before attending a meeting. 

This animation is part of a programme of research to help statistical methodologists better communicate their research to members of the public and to support members of the public to get involved in this type of research.