Your voice, your experience, shaping better cancer trials in Ireland.
Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) means people with personal experience of cancer working alongside researchers to shape cancer trials.
You don’t have to have a cancer diagnosis to get involved; our Patient Consultants Committee (PCC) includes patients, people living with & beyond cancer, family members, carers, and members of the public. The PCC is a subgroup of the Board of Directors of Cancer Trials Ireland and provides a visible focus of PPI in cancer trials in Ireland.
At Cancer Trials Ireland, we believe the people most affected by cancer should have a say in how trials are designed, run and shared.
What do we mean by PPI?
PPI is about partnership, not paperwork.
It means you are involved as an equal partner in our work – not as a research subject, but as someone whose ideas and lived experience help make cancer trials more relevant, fair and accessible.
PPI contributors might:
- Share what matters most to people living with cancer when new trials are being planned
- Help review information given to patients so it is clear and understandable
- Advise on how and where trials are advertised so people actually hear about them
- Help us interpret results and share them back with the wider community
You don’t need a science background. If you have experience of cancer and want to help improve cancer trials in Ireland, your voice is welcome.
Why does PPI matter?
When people affected by cancer are involved from the start, cancer trials are more likely to:
Ask the right questions
Include people from different backgrounds and communities
Be easier to join and stay on
Produce results that really make a difference in people’s lives
Your insights help us spot gaps, challenge assumptions and keep our focus on what matters most to patients and families.
Who can get involved & what would I do?
You can be based anywhere in Ireland. Most of our meetings are online, with occasional in-person events. We actively welcome people from different communities, age groups and backgrounds – including people who may not usually be heard in healthcare decisions.
Depending on your interests, you might:
Join an online meeting to give feedback on a new trial idea
Review patient information sheets or consent forms
Help design surveys or other tools to understand patient needs
Take part in workshops, events or panels
Help us communicate results in plain language
You can choose how much or how little you want to be involved, and we’ll support you as you learn. Complete the form here or contact us at info@cancertrials.ie