Patients included at THIS Space
At THIS Space, we welcome researchers, patients, carers, NHS staff and anyone with an interest in the evidence base for improving the quality and safety of healthcare. In order to make sure the event incorporates the experience of patients as experts while ensuring they are neither excluded nor exploited, we’re using the Patients Included conference charter as a framework for our planning process.
Below, we outline what we’re doing across the charter to ensure THIS Space is accessible, equitable and meaningful for patient and carer participants.
1. Patients or caregivers with experience relevant to the conference’s theme actively participate in the design and planning of the event.
Our event review group includes patient members. Review group members contribute expert advice on the event design, content, materials, and all other aspects of planning.
We offer payment to patients and carers involved in the planning of the event and acting as speakers, panellists, or hosts, in line with our payment policy.
2. Patients or caregivers with experience of the issues addressed by the event participate in its delivery, and appear in its audience.
Patients and carers are invited to participate in all aspects of the event, including as speakers and panellists. As part of our marketing, we’re reaching out to multiple patient, carer and patient advocacy groups to encourage participation and attendance in the event.
We will offer a researcher ‘buddy’ to support virtual attendance on the event day and/or an advance briefing with a member of the event team to patient and carer participants who would find this helpful.
3. IT provision and support for patients or carers participating in the advertised programme.
THIS Space is a free online event, open to all. Patients and carers can apply for support with internet access (this could include support with accessing internet data or identifying a nearby public library with bookable computers).
If you’d like to attend and would benefit from IT support, please contact us.
4. We strive to accommodate the accessibility needs of all participants, and test the accessibility of the virtual platform with patients and caregivers.
All sessions are fully online, free and open to all. We know advance planning is really important to help people manage their attendance and maximise their contribution, so we’ll flag the ask of participants in each session in advance (e.g. contributing to small group work, responding to polls, submitting questions for a Q&A).
Recordings of all content, including live sessions, will be available online after the event for those unable to attend on the day.
We will have a live chat helpline open on the event day, staffed by our team, to help anyone with connection issues access the event.
If you’re attending THIS Space and have any other ideas about how we can make the event accessible and inclusive, please get in touch.
