PPI case studies
The HPRU EZI has previously awarded several bursaries for staff and students to carry out PPI activities in their research projects. Example case studies of these projects can be seen below.
The projects below will be updated on evaluation and impact as they progress.
Avian influenza from the perspective of affected communities - Dr Sarah Hayes
Background
The UK is currently experiencing its worst ever outbreak of avian influenza. Millions of poultry have died or been culled and wild bird colonies have been severely affected. The goal of this project is to work with poultry keepers to hear their views on current legislation, suggestions for additional or alternative interventions, and to identify areas of future research.
Aims
By working with communities affected by avian influenza and the associated regulations, we aim to enhance the relevance of future research and ensure it is sensitive to the needs of these communities. Understanding how poultry keepers engage with existing policies will allow research into areas that may improve the effectiveness of, and adherence to, these policies.
By working with these communities, we hope to utilise a rarely-used resource to help identify areas for research which could help protect wild bird populations in the future.
Methods
Focus groups were formed including individuals from across England from areas with varying levels of avian influenza incidence. Recruitment strategies focussed on social media and dissemination of the opportunity to get involved through local and national organisations such as birdwatching/ringing groups and smallholder associations. The focus groups served two purposes:
- To gain detailed insights into the participants’ awareness and understanding of the current avian influenza situation and legislation and identify areas where participants feel further research is needed
- To provide input into the design of a survey to be disseminated to a wider group
The results of the research will be shared with these groups and used to identify potential future research questions.
Impact in research
Focus group discussions identified areas of interest to poultry keepers that were not previously considered including various behavioural affects of the housing measures on the birds and an increase in issues with rodents. In addition, the focus groups have provided valuable insights into motivations behind differing levels of compliance with legislation and have identified options for potential future control strategies that are worth exploring further. As the focus groups involved only a small number of people, the next phase of the project is to seek wider opinions on the issues identified and discussed using online surveys.
The focus group members have been involved in designing surveys for distribution to the wider group of poultry keepers. Following ethical approval of the survey component of the project, these will be disseminated in the late autumn to coincide with what is typically considered the start of avian influenza season.
"This project has been very educational in highlighting the value of PPI and how this can increase the relevance of future research questions and is something that I will strive to include in future research." - Dr Sarah Hayes
Serological investigation of volunteer wildlife carers, Australia - Grace Hood
Background
Australian flying foxes are critical keystone species, and serve as important pollinators. Wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators play an essential role in their conservation and care, with some individuals rescuing over 500 animals a year. These individuals are critical to the survival of these species, particularly in the face of threats such as climate change, habitat loss, electrocution on powerlines, entanglement in wide-aperture fruit-tree netting and dispersal. These roles bring them into close contact with flying foxes, and they serve an important role in protecting the public by removing injured or unwell animals from public spaces.
Several novel viruses have been identified in flying fox populations in South-east Queensland, however, we are yet to fully understand the degree of risk these viruses pose to human health. Our study aims to better understand the risk of viral spillover (the infection of humans from animals) by collecting blood samples from wildlife rescuers, rehabilitators and veterinary workers and screening for exposure to emerging henipaviruses. We also aim to perform questionnaire-based semi-qualitative interviews in order to better understand their exposure to wildlife, risk-management strategies and expert knowledge.
Aims
The aim of this study is to better understand the true risk of emerging and zoonotic infections in wildlife rescuers, rehabilitators and veterinary workers. Engaging wildlife workers from the beginning will be essential in recruiting hard-to-reach participants, ensuring our research is relevant and reaches the right populations, and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their own health.
Methods
We plan to hold an online public forum during the design phase. The public forum will be advertised widely, but mostly by contacting the wildlife care organisations directly.
At the online public forum, an advisory panel will be recruited, and then maintained throughout the study. Applicants will be recruited based on their length of involvement in the wildlife volunteering community, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion to ensure there is appropriate gender representation (minimum 50% identifying as female), and ethnic and cultural diversity.
Finally, another online public forum will be held during the results dissemination phase. All study participants will be invited.
Impact in research
By asking for public contributions during the design and planning of the study, we hope to co-develop a study which addresses the concerns of the community. Wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators are known to be a hard-to-reach population and reluctant to meet with scientists as they perceive scientists as posing a threat to their bats (for example, they may be concerned that scientists or governments may cull bats if new viruses are found). By reaching out to this community before we commence research, we hope to develop a productive relationship, gain from their expertise, and find out what issues they would like investigated.
We also hope to maintain an advisory panel through the research, which would meet at regular intervals.
Finally, we hope to include public contributors during the dissemination phase of the study, in order to gain input on how the findings can be best presented and distributed to maximise impact.