'Going into the unknown': experiences of male patients in secure settings during environmental transition.

Little is known about the experiences of male patients in secure mental health and intellectual disability units during environmental transition. We interviewed patients before (n = 9) and after (n = 8) a side-to-side security transition from medium-secure wards in an older building to new wards in a purpose-built building. We inquired about transitional experiences in general and about this transition specifically. We examined interview transcripts and field notes using thematic analysis, and collated routine outcome data to gauge whether transition had obvious positive or negative effects. Qualitative analysis indicated three major themes (information, transition, and behaviour) and five overlapping subthemes (positive information sharing and consultation, concerns and anxieties about lack of information, life change and opportunity, home and sense of belonging, and potential conflict). Outcome data indicated little obvious change between first and second interviews. Expressed concerns of patients about transition were largely about tangible and practical issues, including changes to rules, including smoking and prohibited items. The results highlight the need for the development of supportive patient-inclusion strategies, consistent and transparent communication processes, and a published timeframe during the planning and implementation phases of all types of transitional moves, including the side-to-side transfer of residents between accommodation buildings.

Partners in projects: preparing for public involvement in health and social care research.

In recent years, several UK and, international funders of health and social care related research have adopted the policy of requiring explicit evidence of the 'public' voice in all aspects of project design. For many academic researchers engaged within research, evaluations or audit projects, this formal requirement to actively engage members of the public will present them with both benefits and challenges to securing knowledgeable, skilled, and confident lay representation onto project teams. This could potentially lead to the exploitation of those individuals who are available, appropriately informed, and adequately prepared for such activities. Currently, much of the preparation of patients or members of the public for research involvement tends to be aligned to specific projects; however, with the call for greater active and meaningful involvement of lay representatives in future national and international funding applications, there is clearly a growing need to 'train' sufficient numbers of confident and competent representatives to meet this growing demand. This paper describes the development of a specifically designed research awareness training programme and underpinning theoretical model, which has been specifically designed to support active and meaningful lay involvement in research, evaluations and audit projects. Developed over a four year period, the course is a culmination of learning extracted from a series of four completed research projects, which have incorporated an element of public and patient involvement (PPI) training in their overall design.