New data shows promising improvement in rates of public involvement in research

The number of health and social care studies involving patients and the public in research has continued to increase according to our latest data.

As part of our annual analysis of public involvement in research, the overall number of applications reporting that they had involved patients or members of the public rose by 10%, from 74% in 2023 to 84% in 2024.

In 2024, 3,764 studies received a favourable opinion from a Research Ethics Committee (REC). Our analysis looked at a sample of 400 studies, accounting for roughly 10% of the total number of studies.

We looked at whether public involvement rates changed when research was a clinical trial and whether the sponsor was commercial or non-commercial.

We found an increase in public involvement across all areas of our analysis.

91% of non-commercially sponsored research studies reported public involvement, up from 89% in 2023.

Though the percentage of commercial sponsors reporting they had or would actively involve the public increased by 11%, from 53% in 2023 to 64% in 2024, public involvement is still much lower than in non-commercially sponsored research.

Public involvement in non-clinical trials rose by 6% from 83% in 2023, to 89% in 2024.

When it comes to clinical trials though, whilst the percentage rose by 10% from 54% in 2023, to 64% in 2024, involvement still lags behind non-clinical trials.

We also looked at the different aspects of research that patients or members of the public were involved in.

Across each area we saw increases in the percentage of studies involving patients in different aspects:

• Design of research – 85% (up 5%)
• Management of research – 32% (up 3%)
• Undertaking research – 41% (up 1%)
• Analysis of the result – 25% (up 2%)
• Dissemination of findings – 67% (up 4%)

The percentage of studies that show no public involvement in any of these areas dropped by 18% from 38% in 2023, to 20% in 2024.

Promising signs of improvement

In our recently published new strategy for 2025-28 we have identified rates of public involvement as an area we want to see improve.

The rise in rates of public involvement in 2024 is a promising step in the right direction.

Though the rise cannot be attributed to a specific change, there are some initiatives that we think may have contributed.

In December 2023 we introduced new Participant Information Quality Standards to show researchers and Research Ethics Committees (REC) what the important ethical considerations are for developing participant information as part of a research application.

One of the steps outlined in the standards is to ‘involve public contributors in the design and review process to ensure that participant information is relevant and understandable for the intended audience’.

We encourage researchers to follow our four principles for public involvement:

1. Involve the right people
2. Involve enough people
3. Involve those people enough
4. Describe how it helps

Throughout 2024 our Shared Commitment to Public Involvement in health and social care campaign has also continued to champion public involvement in all aspects of research.

More than 30 organisations have now signed up as partners to the Shared Commitment, with organisations meeting regularly throughout the year to share best practice and learning.

"We’re pleased to see an increase in public involvement in health and social care research across the board in 2024, based on our analysis of applications made to Research Ethics Committees.

"This is the second year we have carried out the analysis, and whilst it is too early to confidently identify a consistent upward trend, the improvements are encouraging.

"From the data we can see there is a clear difference between rates of public involvement in commercially and non-commercially sponsored trials, as there is between clinical trials and non-clinical trials.

"Over the next few years, we would like to see a continued increase in public involvement in commercially sponsored trials, and clinical trials, to match involvement in non-commercial and non-clinical trials.

"Public involvement is expected and possible in health and social care research. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of next year’s analysis using applications made in 2025, to see if the improvements continue, and use the data to help identify where we may be able to provide further guidance and advice to support public involvement in all aspects of research.”

Naho Yamazaki, Deputy Director of Policy and Partnerships

Our latest report builds on the data first published last year that focused on public involvement in studies which made an application for REC review in 2023.

We will be continuing to monitor applications on an annual basis to report on progress, and will be publishing data on studies from 2025 in early 2026.