More medical journals must work in partnership with patients and the public

When The BMJ launched its patient and public partnership strategy in 2014 it was the first commitment of its kind by a medical journal.1 Being patient centred is one of The BMJ’s values. The journal already had a long history of partnering with patients,23 but it was informal and ad hoc, and the launch of a patient focused strategy was pioneering for a medical publication. A great deal has moved on since then—albeit mostly outside the world of medical journals.

Patients are becoming key decision makers in various aspects of healthcare, including research, where funders actively support patient and public involvement. Notable national examples include the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute in the United States, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Wellcome Trust, and James Lind Alliance in the UK. International organisations such as Cochrane, the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement, the Community Health and Information Network Africa, and the World Health Organization also support co-production in research, practice, and medical education. These are just a few examples of organisations making healthcare research more responsive to the needs and priorities of patients, not just scientists and clinicians.

Lucien Engelen, a patient advocate, launched the Patients Included charter for healthcare conferences in 2015 with the support of patients, clinicians, researchers, and advocates. The charter allows conference organisers to assess their performance against five charter clauses to become self-accredited Patients Included events.4 Self-accreditation enables use of the Patients Included logo and signifies a commitment to involving patients as experts from the planning to the delivery of a conference. …