International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care

Table of Contents - October 2011 - Volume 27, Issue 04  

THEME: PATIENTS AND PUBLIC IN HTA

The GRIPP checklist: Strengthening the quality of patient and public involvement reporting in research

Sophie Staniszewskaa1, Jo Bretta1, Carole Mockforda1 and Rosemary Barbera2

a1 University of Warwick

a2 University of Sheffield

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop the GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and Public) checklist to enhance the quality of PPI reporting.

Methods: Thematic analysis was used to synthesize key issues relating to patient and public involvement (PPI) identified in the PIRICOM and PAPIRIS systematic reviews. These issues informed the development of the GRIPP checklist.

Results: The key issues identified included limited conceptualization of PPI, poor quality of methods reporting, unclear content validity of studies, poor reporting of context and process, enormous variability in the way impact is reported, little formal evaluation of the quality of involvement, limited focus on negative impacts, and little robust measurement of impact. The GRIPP checklist addresses these key issues.

Conclusion: The reporting of patient and public involvement in health research needs significant enhancement. The GRIPP checklist represents the first international attempt to enhance the quality of PPI reporting. Better reporting will strengthen the PPI evidence-base and so enable more effective evaluation of what PPI works, for whom, in what circumstances and why.

(Online publication October 17 2011)

Keywords:

Footnotes

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of the research teams and advising groups for PIRICOM and PAPIRIS to these two original reviews. The PIRICOM systematic review was funded by the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration. The PAPIRIS systematic review was funded by the National Centre for Involvement, UK.