The experiences of people using health and care is invaluable to address the challenges they face and to provide a different perspective.
We work closely with patients and the general public – people like you – to make sure your voices inform and shape what we do. With your insight into experiences of care we can support innovation to improve services for patients faster.
Helping us select the innovations that matter most to patients
Our aim is for people with lived experience (patients and carers or those with other relevant experience) to be involved in each area of our work. This process starts with the innovations selection process, during which we ensure patient representation on the panel that reviews and provides recommendations on the innovations we support.
Patients were involved in the decision-making process to inform how their data is used for patient or societal benefit in Gut Reaction – the Health Data Research Hub for inflammatory bowel disease.
Find out more about how the data hub worked with Crohn’s & Colitis UK and its Patient Advisory Committee to ensure that patient co-design was at the heart of determining how requests to access the growing dataset were managed.
Find out more here
Helping put the patient voice at the heart of our health system
“At Health Innovation East we understand the importance of meaningful patient and public involvement and engagement and we continue to test and adapt new approaches and share those insights with our partners.”
Helen Oliver, Business Development Director and Deputy Chief Executive
Amplifying the patient voice
We help innovators and organisations to build strong patient insight and involvement into their innovation projects.
Read how we are working with our partners to capture insights from patients and people with lived experience to help organisations understand the challenges they face.
Find out more in our latest impact review
Ensuring patient representation
We have four Patient Voice Ambassadors who are valued partners and support our work at Health Innovation East by providing authentic patient voice for selected programmes, giving us insight for bid writing and connecting our projects to diverse local community advocacy groups.
It’s essential that patients who know what it’s like to live with a condition are consulted when new ways of diagnosing or treating that condition are being developed, as they often see things differently to the people who provide their healthcare.
Suzanne Meenan, Patient Voice Ambassador
“I became a Patient Voice Ambassador because I have a passion for making the patient voice heard at all stages of the research and innovation cycle. I know that what I have contributed has made a difference to patients and innovators, and that is what drives me to keep contributing. I’m not unique. Anyone with imagination can do the same.”