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Table 2 Defining the key concepts within our research question

From: How to engage patient partners in health service research: a scoping review protocol

Concept

Definition

Patient partners

‘Patient’ refers to a person, or a carer to such a person, with a lived experience such as an injury, illness or disease [9]. ‘Partner’ indicates the active and equal contribution of patient expertise and other research team stakeholders. A ‘patient partner’ is a patient who collaborates actively with other stakeholders in as many stages and areas of the research process as possible and relevant.

Engagement

Meaningful and active collaboration among stakeholders where patient partners are engaged in any research process [8].

Effective

The most relevant, transparent and successful engagement, assessed by how patient partners are engaged in the research process. The impact can be captured via different aspects of the research process, such as research agenda, research design and delivery, research ethics, people engaged, researchers, participants, wider community, community organizations, and implementation and change [14].

Research process

All possible stages of the research, from planning and delivery to interpreting and disseminating the results [19].