The APART Study Public Participation Initiative for Knowledge Exchange

The APART Study is exploring an important, low-cost intervention that may limit bone loss associated with initiation of antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV. Results from this trial may have significant implications for how HIV is managed both in Ireland and internationally. We will use this KEDS award to develop a research partnership linking study participants and relevant stakeholder groups (HIV peer support and advocacy groups) to develop a strategy that maximises the overall impact from reporting the findings of the APART trial. In collaboration with our community partners, we will develop a range of dissemination activities. We will initially form two focus groups; one involving APART study participants and the other members of the community of people living with HIV, constituted in gender and ethnicity to reflect the demographics of the population with HIV currently under care. The focus groups will involve facilitated discussion on how best to report study findings, which tools to employ (e.g. websites, social media platforms, print media) and how best to measure impact beyond traditional academic reporting of findings at conferences and in peer-review publications. Using results from the focus groups, we will design and implement a strategy for sharing results, including a ?Sharing the Results? seminar, which will use existing infrastructure, knowledge and partnerships to maximise public participation. Through these events we will use questionnaires, focus groups and feedback forms to assess experience from study participants who were directly involved in the trial and also feedback on the effectiveness of the public participation initiative.

Award Date

27 September 2018

Award Value

€59,231.25

Principal Investigator

Professor Patrick Mallon

Host Institution

University College Dublin

Scheme

Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme