How to work with PPI

When designing any new service or amending a current one, working with your local Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group is key to ensuring that you have a service that is fit-for-purpose, and the same goes for embedding diabetes education. PPI can help you to understand which are the important factors to consider, e.g. time of day, venues for face-to-face groups, day of the week, as well as help in designing your referral processes and marketing materials.

• Begin by making contact with your Patient and Public Groups (PPG); these are usually based at practice level. Present the work that you are trying to achieve, gather initial thoughts, feelings and barriers to engagement, and highlight the opportunities that the work will provide

• Gather a representative from each PPG to form your DESMOND PPI Committee – set regular meetings with clear agendas/topics for discussion (such as designing posters, checking leaflets, writing press campaigns etc.)

• In addition, identify relevant local community groups and resources from whom you can seek guidance and knowledge, and consider how they can feed into the work of the PPI Committee Or you may already have an existing diabetes-related group that you can ‘piggy-back’ this work onto

Continue to work with this group throughout the life span of service, although you may find fewer meetings are required as the service becomes more embedded into routine care.