We need more patient and public reviews on research papers—and the resources to do so (24 November 2021)

Summary

Historically, patients have always been considered the passive recipients of healthcare. This way of thinking affected everything from how people were cared for in a clinician’s office or hospital bed, to how they participated in clinical trials. It’s also meant that patients have previously had no role in the production or review of medical literature after research has been completed. However, this is changing, and now patients and members of the public are increasingly involved in new and meaningful ways at more steps in the research process, including as potential reviewers of medical papers. This has enormous benefits for science and healthcare. But patients and members of the public are not always provided with the relevant resources to participate effectively and efficiently, and this is something that journals need to work on.