Involving and engaging patients and the public

The Year of Care programme was focussed on a more collaborative approach to care, with the aim of supporting self management and improving the day to day lives of people with diabetes. The programme addressed two aspects of user involvement and engagement, both of which were critical to success.

Care Planning: the engaged and informed individual - Chapter 6 (PDF 1.1KB)

‘Engagement’ in self care, leading to better quality of life and health, is not only an outcome of care planning but also an essential ingredient of the care planning process itself (the left wall of the Care Planning House). 

Key messages

• Engaging people in care planning involves a variety of methods beyond ‘providing information’.
  
• These must be tailored for individuals, and local barriers must be actively identified and addressed.
  
• Extra resource may be needed for disadvantaged groups.
  
• Those with literacy, access or other issues may be doubly disadvantaged if they are not distinguishable in some way from more advantaged populations.  Special means to identify their needs will be important.
  

User engagement in commissioning and design - Chapter 11 (PDF 1MB)

Chapter 11 (PDF 1.1MB) discusses issues of wider patient and public engagement across communities to inform design, delivery and commissioning of local diabetes. This had major impact in the most disadvantaged communities.

Key messages

• One size does not fit all – a variety of engagement methods needs to be used
  
• Both the engagement of individuals in care planning and the wider involvement needs itself to be resourced and commissioned
  
• Detailed examples of effective local solutions are provided in the case studies.
  
• This experience should be of interest to developing Health and Well being Boards