Patient and public involvement and engagement

• Our Pain Register is a database of individuals from across the UK who are able to participate in our research (e.g. interviews, surveys, feedback on study documentation, ideas for research) and are interested in receiving written updates on our latest research findings. We invite people who are living with pain as well as those who are pain-free to join our Register
• Local PPIE group who meet 4 times a year to whom students and staff can identify priorities for future research, pitch project ideas to gain feedback, and share early results from completed studies
• PPIE co-applicants on grants who usually (but not always) have a lived experience of the condition being studied (e.g. trauma, post-surgery, whiplash, sciatica, etc.) and are a core member of the study team/steering group, actively involved throughout the entire life cycle of projects (from inception to dissemination)
• Public engagement to extend our reach: our researchers have appeared on local radio (BBC Radio WM), written articles for Buzz, Community Buzz, HEM Life, and manned stands at public events
• Social media (Twitter) to raise awareness of our research and PPIE events. Follow us on @CprSpine

CPR Spine is committed to PPIE as not only an integral part of our research, but also within our education. We support the development of >100 post-graduate taught and research students, as well as hosting international visitors. This allows us to showcase PPIE and ensure the next generation of clinicians and researchers are aware of its importance. If you are interested in knowing more about our PPIE, including joining the register please contact us at cprspineppi@contacts.bham.ac.uk.