Engaging patients in health care: an empirical study of the role of engagement on attitudes and action.
OBJECTIVE
Identify the role of engaging people affected by cancer in service development in influencing healthcare professionals and service-users' attitudes toward, and enactment of, engagement.


METHODS
Focus group discussions with healthcare professionals and people affected by lung cancer, prior to and following an intervention where lung cancer teams were supported to engage with patients and family members.


RESULTS
Staff and people affected by cancer who participated displayed more positive attitudes toward involvement than those who did not participate.


CONCLUSIONS
Progressing the involvement agenda requires the use of supported, small scale, projects where staff and patients/family members can develop their skills and knowledge of involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Doing patient engagement work is a vital step toward changing attitudes and actions toward the involvement agenda.
Forbat
Liz
L
Cancer Care Research Centre, University of Stirling, Innovation Park, Stirling, United Kingdom. elizabeth.forbat@stir.ac.uk
Cayless
Sandi
S
Knighting
Kate
K
Cornwell
Jocelyn
J
Kearney
Nora
N
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009042:Motivation; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012380:Role; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom