Objectives In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards collaboration between researchers and patients, known as patient and public involvement, which has been adopted by many countries worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and experiences of biomedical researchers regarding patient and public involvement in research, as well as researchers’ perspectives on patient co-authorships.
Methods A qualitative design was adopted as it is well-suited for investigating the motivations and behaviors of individuals. The study used a content analysis approach with an inductive methodology and a primary data collection method of semi-structured interviews with individuals continuing until data saturation.
Results Thirteen researchers across a variety of healthcare fields were interviewed. Identified categories included: (1) Expectations of added value, (2) Recognition of authorships, and (3) Identified challenges in research methods. Researchers expressed positive feelings regarding patient involvement and recommended it to other researchers and had essentially no problems with patients obtaining co-authorships. Even though they were positive, many researchers complained about the process being time-consuming and that finding relevant patients at the beginning was somewhat difficult.
Conclusion Patient involvement in biomedical research can create positive experiences for researchers and provide valuable insights that enhance study design, relevance, and implementation. Despite identified challenges, such as time constraints, recruitment difficulties, and communicative barriers, patient involvement remained overall beneficial.
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