Special Webinar: Meaningful engagement, the consumer perspective

In this special webinar, hosted by research consumer advocate Dr Shyamsundar (Shyam) Muthuramalingam, you will gain insights and practical tips about consumer involvement in research.

In this webinar, he covers:

• Consumer involvement is about forming genuine partnerships with people who have lived experience, not just involving them as research subjects.
• Engagement progresses along a spectrum: inform → consult → involve → collaborate → empower (consumer-led).
• Meaningful involvement means consumers contribute throughout the research process, including priority setting, study design, data interpretation and sharing results.
• Effective engagement improves:
  • Relevance and impact of research
  • Recruitment and retention in trials
  • Diversity of participants
  • Success in obtaining funding (increasingly required by NHMRC and MRFF)
• Lived experience is expertise — consumers do not need scientific training; researchers should communicate in clear, accessible language.
• A consumer advisory group does not require ethics approval unless the members are also research participants.
• Common barriers (time, funding, knowing where to start) can be overcome through toolkits, seed grants, peer learning and organisational support.
• Engagement works best when it is:
  • Intentional
  • Started early
  • Inclusive and diverse
  • Supported as core practice, not a tick-box exercise.