Who are 'service users'?
The HTA programme has adopted and adapted INVOLVE's definition of service users. We define 'the public' and 'service users' as patients; unpaid carers; parents/guardians; users of health services; disabled people; members of the public who are the potential recipients of health promotion/public health programmes; groups asking for research because they believe they have been exposed to potentially harmful circumstances, products or services; groups asking for research because they believe they have been denied products or services from which they believe they could have benefited; organisations that represent service users and carers.
(adapted from a definition in Hanley B.et al, 2004, Involving the public in NHS, public health, and social care research: Briefing Notes for Researchers)
More specifically in order to maximise service user input into the HTA programme, they should be linked to service user/carer networks i.e. they should be able to draw on a wide body of opinion and be able to provide a broad perspective to help at the stage requested in the HTA process. To avoid conflicts of interest when supporting the HTA programme, a service user should not normally be a health practitioner, manager or researcher.
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